These instructions are intended for most paid contractors

Cab Companies, Teacher Candidates, Interns, and Volunteers have different steps. Please refer to the appropriate tab for those instructions.

Contractors with a current badge who need to renew their background check may qualify to do so without being fingerprinted again, for a lower fee. Please see rules, restrictions and fees on the contractor renewal tab.

Step 1: Submit PPS fees and forms 

Pay PPS background check/fingerprinting fee online

1. 1. Fee is $92.00. This covers PPS and ODE background check costs; Checkout
   2. Complete PPS Criminal History Verification Form: CHV FORM
   3. We are testing a new secure submission process in place of emailing the CHV form. Only submit once through email OR portal. PPS SECURE SUBMISSION PORTAL
   4. Incomplete forms may be rejected. Please confirm all applicant fields have been filled in. Call 503-916-3000 with questions.
   5. Please give complete addresses when you are able. At minimum, you must enter the city, state and zip code of where you have resided in the last 10 years.
2. (If you have submitted using the secure portal please disregard this section and continue onto step 2). Email the receipt and a pdf of the criminal history form to: backgroundcheck@pps.net
   1. Subject line of email should include applicant’s name
   2. ONLY 1 APPLICANT PER EMAIL IS ACCEPTED-multiple applicants in the same email will be rejected.
   3. In the body of the email state the name of the company you work for, what PPS department is contracting your work, and any other pertinent information you want us to know.

Step 2: Get Fingerprinted

1. We will reply to your submission email with a special Fieldprint code and instructions on how to schedule a fingerprint appointment at any Fieldprint site.
   1. Applicants are required to have completed their fingerprint appointment no more than 60 days after receiving this code.
   2. Our office is no longer an option for fingerprinting.  Please pick any Fieldprint location that is convenient for you.
   3. Fieldprint charges a $12.50 fee when signing up. This is separate from the PPS charge.
   4. Do not schedule a fingerprint appointment if you are volunteering. Your fingerprint application will be voided, and all fees will be forfeited.

Step 3 Photo and badge pick up (501 N Dixon, Portland 97227)

1. When your PPS prelim background check clears, we will send confirmation and a link to schedule a photo/badge pick-up appointment.
   1. We do not have drop-in hours. Appointments typically take 3–10 minutes, and you get your badge right then.
2. Save the photo/badge appointment for last. You must have already attended your fingerprint appointment to get your badge.

Contractors

PPS will now allow long-term contractors to renew their badges without a full fingerprint-based background check, for a lower fee, under very specific rules. 

1. The company/organization must have an active current contract for services with Portland Public Schools.
    
2. The contractor must not have lived outside of Oregon since their most recent ODE fingerprint-based background check.
    
   1. Applicants who live in Washington or a different state when they applied and got fingerprinted do not qualify for the fingerprint waiver when renewing.
       
      1. Continuous residency is an Oregon Department of Education rule, not a PPS rule and cannot be waived.
          
3. The applicant must still have a current PPS badge when applying for the renewal.
    
   1. An applicant cannot request to renew their background check more than 90 days prior to the current expiration date.
       
   2. PPS will allow a 15-day grace period from the current expiration date to the new application being submitted.
       
4. If an applicant is moving from a PPS employee to a contractor, they may qualify for the renewal process. Please reach out backgroundcheck@pps.net to inquire.
    
5. If an applicant used a TSPC license when they originally applied, their license must be up-to-date when they renew their background check or an ODE-based fingerprint clearance will be required at the higher fee.
    
   1. Not all TSPC clearances qualify to be used in place of new fingerprints. Please reach out to backgroundcheck@pps.net to see if your license will be accepted.
       
6. Applicants may request to use their previous photo and have the card ready for pick-up instead of scheduling a new photo/badge appointment.
    
7. When an applicant who has previously been authorized to have an access card renews their background check, the fee will also cover the cost of a new access card. (no separate second payment will be required)
    
8. PPS reserves the right to require a new fingerprint-based background check for a renewal if an investigation is inconclusive or Security Services staff have any reason to believe a new one is needed.

PPS is now offering an online secure submission portal in place of sending form through email. To use this option please click on the submission button.

PPS SECURE SUBMISSION PORTAL

When applying to renew BY EMAIL:

Send CHV form and payment receipt to backgroundcheck@pps.net

1. The body of the email should contain the following:
    
   1. I am applying to renew my current contractor badge with PPS.
       
   2. I affirm that I am renewing as an employee of a company or organization that has a current contract with PPS that requires me to have a PPS badge.
       
   3. I affirm that I have not lived outside the state of Oregon since my fingerprint scan for an ODE background check was completed. (this pertains to the background check that was completed only through ODE, no other fingerprint-based background check will qualify)
       
      1. If an applicant has lived outside of Oregon since their last fingerprint with PPS, they must complete the fingerprint-based background check again per ODE rules.
          

The applicant must furnish full addresses and move in/out dates for the last 3 years going back to the address used on your previous PPS background check.

Cab Company Recertifications

Type 10 drivers must renew their badge with us every 3 years along with getting recertified with student transportation services. Please follow all driver recertification directions prior to renewing you badge. Cab company badges will still be sent to transportation.

Interns and student teachers

Intern badges are issued for only 1 school year. If you do not complete your placement requirements before your badge expires, you may contact backgroundcheck@pps.net to ascertain if you will need to complete a new background check or if we can extend your current clearance. 

Teacher candidates must have first been placed through the Educator Pathways Program.  Once accepted into the program please follow the instructions and deadlines sent by them. 

Check with your school's placement office if you are not sure if you have been issued a placement at a PPS school or are not sure of your next step.

• 1. Step 1 Prior to submitting a background request to Security Services:

     1. Ensure you have been placed with a cooperating teacher.
     2.  Verify you have cleared your fingerprint based background check with TSPC.

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     Step 2 PPS background check

     • Submit a PDF of the fully completed Criminal History Verification Form to Backgroundcheck@pps.net 
       • Follow all directions. Completely fill out the form. We require 10 years of address history (city, state and zip code). 
     • State that you are in the teacher candidate program and which PPS school you are assigned to.
     • You will receive a confirmation email once we have accepted your application. That email will give an estimated completion timeframe for the background check. 

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     Step 3 Photo and badge pick up

     Unscheduled visits are not allowed

     • You will receive an additional confirmation email once we clear your background, confirming you have cleared, and can proceed to this final step. 
     • Included in the email will be a link to a scheduling page for photos and badge pick up at the PPS administration building. 
     • The full background application process can take 2-3 weeks to complete. Please be cognizant of this timeline when planning for the start of your placement.   

Speech Language Pathology Interns. (SLP)

Because of an odd discord in the state's rules on fingerprinting and the district's admin directives concerning our badging process, we cannot run a full background check on SLP interns, or issue an ID badge for you.

SLP Interns do not qualify for a fingerprint based background check through ODE or TSPC and PPS cannot issue a badge without one of those.

The only option available for SLP interns is our volunteer background check process. Being cleared as a volunteer still qualifies you to work one on one with students and will be accepted by the school in lieu of a badge. Once cleared in the volunteer database, you will use the school's sign in kiosk to print a badge each day. Should school staff have any questions, please direct them to this site to help explain why you were not issued an ID badge with us.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

• PPS Criminal History Verification Form

• Fingerprinting Fee Payment

• Administrative Directive 5.10.141-AD Employee Contractor and Volunteer Criminal History Verification

• Disqualifying Convictions List

• The Fair Consumer Reporting Act  Know your rights. 
• PPS uses court records services that also offer access to credit reports. PPS will never run a credit report as part of a background check, but we are required to post this notice.

Volunteers do not complete these forms. Please see our  volunteer page for further additional information.

Volunteer background checks can take up to 4 weeks during peak times of the school year. Only the school office or classroom teacher can request a rush for a background check.