South Dakota Foster Care Background Check: DCI, FBI, and Central Registry Explained

Background checks are the most misunderstood part of South Dakota's foster care licensing process. Most prospective parents don't realize there are required screenings with different forms, different agencies, and different processing timelines — and that every adult in the household must complete the applicable checks. Getting the sequence wrong means expired checks and wasted fees.

Here's the complete breakdown of what's required, in what order, and how long each step takes.

Who Needs a Background Check

Every person 18 years of age or older residing in your home must complete the full background check process. The Central Registry check also applies to every household member age 10 or older. This includes:

• Both spouses or partners in a two-parent household
• Adult children living in the home
• Any other adult household members (relatives, roommates)

If someone moves into your home after you're licensed, tell your licensing worker so they can explain which required screenings must be completed before a child is placed with you.

Required Screenings

1. South Dakota Central Registry

The South Dakota DSS maintains a Central Registry of all substantiated child abuse and neglect reports. This screening checks whether any household member has been listed in the registry for a confirmed abuse or neglect incident in South Dakota.

How to complete it: Your licensing worker submits a request directly to the DSS Central Registry office in Pierre. You don't initiate this yourself — it flows from your application. Every household member aged 10 and older is included.

Disqualifying result: Any substantiated finding on the Central Registry is an absolute bar to licensure. There is no waiver available.

Timeline: Processing time varies by request.

2. South Dakota DCI (Division of Criminal Investigation) Background Check

The DCI check identifies arrests and convictions within the South Dakota court system. This is a state-level criminal history search.

How to complete it: You submit fingerprints to the DCI in Pierre. The current fee structure from the Attorney General's office:

• State search only: $30
• Combined state (DCI) + FBI check: $50 — this is what foster care requires

Because the DCI and FBI checks are submitted together, you only need to get fingerprinted once for both. The $50 covers both.

Absolute bars vs. waivers: South Dakota law distinguishes between crimes that permanently disqualify an applicant and those that may be eligible for a waiver under SDCL § 26-6-14.5.

Absolute bars (no waiver possible):

• Any substantiated child abuse or neglect
• Spousal abuse
• Crimes against children, including child pornography
• Homicide or kidnapping

Subject to potential waiver:

• Non-violent drug offenses older than 5 years
• Minor theft or property crimes
• Certain non-violent misdemeanors
• DUI convictions (if non-chronic)

If you have anything in your criminal history, disclose it proactively to your licensing worker before submitting the check. DSS evaluates waivers based on the passage of time and evidence of rehabilitation — a proactive conversation is far better than a surprise result.

3. FBI Fingerprint Check

The FBI check runs your fingerprints against the national criminal database, identifying out-of-state convictions and federal crimes that wouldn't appear in the DCI search.

How to complete it: The FBI check is included in the combined $50 DCI + FBI submission. You don't file a separate FBI form — both checks go through the same fingerprinting appointment.

Timeline: The FBI component can take several weeks, and timing varies.

4. Sex-Offender Registry Screening

The required screening set includes a sex-offender registry check. Your licensing worker will tell you how this check is obtained and documented for your application.

5. Out-of-State Registry Checks (Adam Walsh Act)

Under the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, South Dakota must check the child abuse and neglect registries of every state where a household member has lived during the past five years.

How to complete it: Your licensing worker submits requests to each relevant state on your behalf. You provide documentation of your prior addresses.

Why this matters: This is often the longest processing delay in South Dakota foster care licensing. Response times vary by state and can take weeks. If you've lived in multiple states recently, expect this to be a timeline bottleneck.

Tip: Tell your licensing worker about all prior states the moment you start the application. Initiating these requests early — even before PRIDE training begins — is the most effective way to prevent delays.

How Fingerprinting Works

LiveScan (Electronic Fingerprinting)

In Sioux Falls, electronic fingerprinting is available at the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office using a LiveScan machine — a computerized system that captures digital prints without ink. Appointments are required. The cost at this location is typically $25 per appointment, separate from the state's $50 DCI/FBI fee.

LiveScan transmits fingerprints electronically, which means faster processing than mailed ink cards.

Ink Fingerprint Cards

In smaller communities, fingerprints are taken on a physical card at your local law enforcement agency (city police or county sheriff). The card is then mailed to the DCI in Pierre. Processing takes somewhat longer than LiveScan due to mail transit time and the manual scanning of physical cards.

Call your local sheriff or police department to confirm they provide fingerprinting services and whether an appointment is needed.

ICWA Tribal Court Records

For placements involving tribal members, the state or tribal child welfare agency may conduct a separate search of tribal court records. This is important because some tribal convictions don't appear in the state DCI or federal FBI databases due to jurisdictional separation. South Dakota's nine federally recognized tribes each have their own court systems, and records aren't automatically shared with state databases.

If a child placed with you is determined to be an "Indian child" under ICWA, your licensing worker will advise on any additional tribal court checks that may apply.

Sequence and Timing

The most common mistake prospective foster parents make is waiting until after PRIDE training to start the background check process. These are independent steps that can (and should) run in parallel.

The recommended sequence:

1. Call your regional DSS office or private agency — get your application consent initiated and find out when PRIDE training starts.
2. During Week 1: Schedule your fingerprinting appointment, make out-of-state registry requests, and prepare your address history for those requests.
3. When DSS requests it: Complete the Central Registry forms for household members age 10 and older.
4. While PRIDE training runs: The required background checks can process in parallel with training.
5. After the required checks and training are complete: Ask DSS when the home study can be scheduled.

The overall licensing process is variable: some cases take about three months, the typical range is 3 to 6 months, and the South Dakota average is closer to 6 to 9 months. Starting the screenings early reduces avoidable delay.

When Checks Expire

Background check results are not permanently valid. If significant time passes between your check completion and licensure, DSS may require updated checks. Ask your licensing worker when to initiate each check so results remain current through licensing.

For the complete document checklist, the full background check sequencing guide, and everything you need to prepare your household for the South Dakota home study, the South Dakota Foster Care Licensing Guide walks through each step with the specifics DSS materials don't provide in one place.

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