Level 2 Background Check Florida: A Healthcare Staffing Guide
How a Level 2 background check in Florida works through the Clearinghouse, the roster and retained prints rules, and what healthcare agencies keep on file.
You have a certified nursing assistant ready to start at a skilled nursing facility in Tampa on Monday. She passed her interview, her certification checks out and her references are in. Then the facility asks for her Level 2 eligibility, and you realize nobody scheduled her fingerprints. She cannot start until the result is back and she is marked eligible, and the shift goes to another agency.
Florida is one of the states where background screening for healthcare work is tightly defined. A Level 2 background check in Florida is a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history screening, and for many healthcare roles it runs through a shared state system: the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse. Agencies that understand how the Clearinghouse works can avoid paying for screenings they do not need, start candidates sooner and stay ready for an AHCA survey.
This is part 1 of our US State-by-State Guides series. We cover what Level 2 screening is, how Florida Clearinghouse background screening works, the roster and retained prints rules that trip agencies up, and what to keep on file. Regulations change, so treat this as an overview and confirm specifics with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Florida statutes.
What Level 2 screening means in Florida
Florida's background screening standards are set out in Chapter 435, Florida Statutes. There are two levels:
- Level 1 is a name-based check of state records.
- Level 2 is a fingerprint-based check of state criminal history through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and national records through the FBI.
Most healthcare roles involving direct contact with patients or access to their property or personal information require Level 2 screening. That includes many positions at providers licensed by AHCA, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies and health care services pools (Florida's term for many healthcare staffing agencies). Your exact obligations depend on how your agency is licensed and the roles you fill, so check AHCA's background screening guidance for your provider type.
Since July 2025, Florida's "Cleared to Care" requirements also mean many health care practitioners licensed by the Department of Health complete Level 2 screening at initial licensure and renewal. That does not replace your own screening obligations as an employer, but it does mean more candidates arrive with an existing screening in the Clearinghouse.
How the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse works
The Clearinghouse is a secure database shared by several Florida state agencies. Its purpose is to let screening results be reused across employers and agencies rather than fingerprinting the same person again and again.
The basic flow
- Search first. Before starting a new screening, search the Clearinghouse for the candidate. If they already have a Clearinghouse-compliant screening with retained prints, you may be able to use it rather than paying for new fingerprints. AHCA's guidance explains when an existing screening can be relied on.
- Initiate the screening. If a new screening is needed, the employer initiates it in the Clearinghouse, and the candidate is fingerprinted by an FDLE-approved, Clearinghouse-compliant Livescan provider using the correct ORI number. The provider captures a photograph, and the candidate signs a privacy policy acknowledgement.
- Results and eligibility. Results are returned to the Clearinghouse, and the relevant state agency (AHCA, for AHCA-regulated providers) makes the eligibility determination. Candidates are marked eligible or not eligible. The employer does not interpret the rap sheet itself.
- Exemptions. A candidate found not eligible because of a disqualifying offense may apply to the relevant agency for an exemption from disqualification. They cannot work in a screened role unless and until an exemption is granted.
Retained prints
Since 2013, fingerprints submitted through the Clearinghouse are retained by FDLE. Retained prints mean the state can notify registered employers of new Florida arrests. According to the Clearinghouse FAQs, retained prints last five years unless renewed or purged. A Clearinghouse renewal can be started and paid for on the Clearinghouse results website. If prints are purged, there is no grace period: a brand new screening is needed.
The roster: the step agencies forget
The Clearinghouse uses an Employee/Contractor Roster. Employers should add every current employee who requires screening to their roster. The roster is how you receive:
- Arrest notifications when a rostered employee is arrested in Florida and the agency re-reviews their eligibility.
- Expiring retained prints notifications, so you can renew before the five-year period ends.
For a staffing agency with high turnover, the roster needs regular maintenance:
- Add candidates as soon as they are hired, not when you get around to it.
- Record the date added and the separation date.
- Remove workers who leave, so notifications stay meaningful.
- Assign someone to act on arrest and expiry notifications quickly.
An out-of-date roster is a common finding when AHCA reviews a provider, and it is a real risk: a notification sent to an employer who has not rostered a worker is a notification nobody reads.
What agencies should keep on file
AHCA may ask providers to attest to compliance with background screening requirements, and a survey can ask to see evidence for named workers. For each screened worker, keep:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Clearinghouse eligibility result | Dated screenshot or printout showing the eligibility determination |
| Screening date | Date fingerprints were taken or existing screening was used |
| Roster record | Date added to the roster and date removed |
| Retained prints expiration | So renewal can be scheduled |
| Privacy policy acknowledgement | Signed by the candidate |
| Exemption letter | Where an exemption was granted, with conditions if any |
| Identity documents | The ID used at fingerprinting, as your policy requires |
Other screening you may run
Many agencies also run additional checks through a consumer reporting agency, such as employment verification or drug screening. When you use a consumer reporting agency for employment purposes, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies, with its disclosure, authorization and adverse action requirements. Keep those records separate from your Clearinghouse evidence, and take advice on how state and federal rules interact for your agency.
Keeping Florida healthcare files moving
Level 2 screening is only one part of a Florida healthcare staffing file. Candidates also need to send licenses or certifications, TB results, CPR cards, training certificates and more, and each item has to be chased, checked and filed.
GettingDocs takes that chasing off your team. Amy, our AI assistant, asks candidates for their documents over WhatsApp and email, sent from your agency's own domain and in your agency's voice, and follows up until they arrive. Every file is checked to make sure it is readable and the right document; blurred photos, cut-off pages and wrong documents are rejected and the candidate is asked again. Files are screened for viruses and malware, and accepted documents are filed onto the candidate's record in your ATS. See how it works for healthcare agencies at GettingDocs for healthcare staffing, or for home care agencies at GettingDocs for home care staffing.
Key takeaways
- A Level 2 background check in Florida is a fingerprint-based FDLE and FBI screening under Chapter 435, Florida Statutes.
- Search the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse before starting a new screening; an existing compliant screening may be usable.
- The state agency makes the eligibility decision. Candidates found not eligible cannot work in screened roles without an exemption.
- Keep your roster current so you receive arrest and retained prints expiry notifications, and renew prints before the five-year period ends.
- Keep dated evidence for every screened worker, and confirm current rules with AHCA.
If Florida credential files are slowing your starts, book a call with GettingDocs and see how Amy keeps the paperwork moving.
Please note: this article is general information, not legal advice, and was correct at the time of writing (October 2026). Rules and guidance change, so please check the latest guidance from Florida's Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse and the Federal Trade Commission before relying on it.