Unlike other states, Pennsylvania makes you coordinate most or all of your own Criminal Background Checks (CBCs) and upload the results to their portal during the GC license application process. This can get complicated very quickly if you have lived, worked, or gone to school in more than one state in the past 10 years. We've tried to break it down the process as simply as possible below.
PA requires one or more CBC, depending on your history.
They require a CBC from:
Your current state of residence*
AND one of the following:
a) Every other state you have lived, worked, or been educated in during the last 10 years
OR
*Exception: If your current state is CA, AZ or OH, you will need to obtain an FBI Identity History Summary instead of a state CBC. You can use the FBI summary for all your previous states as well, so this is all you'll need!
If you currently or previously lived/worked/were educated in PA, the board will run a PA background check for you. An additional charge will be added at checkout when you submit your application.
If you currently or previously lived/worked/were educated in any other state besides PA (or in addition to PA) at any time in the last 10 years, you will need to coordinate background checks for those states. The good news is that Name-Based CBCs (meaning no fingerprints required) are acceptable if the state offers it.
In lieu of getting a background check in every previous state, you can obtain an FBI Identity History Summary instead. This costs $18, plus fingerprinting, and can take one to several weeks to get results. You can submit a fingerprint card or go to an approved location to be digitally printed. This is a good option for people who have lived/worked in multiple states. You will still need a background check from your current state.*
Once you've determined what CBCs you'll need, see the table below for information on how to request them. The table below lists the state website, whether name-based CBCs are available or fingerprints are required, and the price (excluding fingerprinting). In states where both a name-based and fingerprint-based CBC are available, we have provided the name-based link and price, since those are generally easier and cheaper to obtain. If you're asked to provide a reason for the request, say "Personal Review." Do not attempt to have the state send the results directly to PA. The states will return the results to you, and you will need to upload them to the PA portal before submitting your application.
How to get a CBC in each state:
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