Maryland Foster Care Fingerprinting and CPS Clearance Process

The background check phase is where Maryland foster care timelines get stretched most dramatically. Not because applicants are disqualified, but because the process involves multiple separate checks run through different systems, and the timing of each depends on choices you make early in the process. Understanding how it works lets you sequence it correctly and avoid the delays that cost other families months.

The Background Check System: What Gets Searched

Maryland requires every adult household member — not just the primary applicant — to clear several distinct checks. The LDSS cannot issue a license until all of them are returned.

CJIS Fingerprinting (Maryland Criminal Justice Information System)

All adults in the home must submit fingerprints for a criminal history check through the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). This check runs through the Maryland State Police and searches state-level criminal records.

FBI Fingerprinting

A separate fingerprint submission runs through the FBI's national database. This is not the same as the state CJIS check — it covers criminal records from other states and federal records that the state system does not reach.

Maryland Central Registry

A search of Maryland's child abuse and neglect registry is required for all household members aged 18 and older. This checks whether any household member has a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect in Maryland's history.

Sex Offender Registry

Both the Maryland Sex Offender Registry and the National Sex Offender Registry are searched. This check is also run at annual reconsideration when your license renews.

Driving Record

Applicants must provide a certified driving record from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. You order this yourself — the LDSS does not pull it for you.

Live Scan vs. Manual Fingerprint Cards: Why This Decision Matters

This is the most consequential logistics choice in the background check process.

Maryland offers two fingerprinting methods:

Live Scan (electronic submission): Done at IdentoGo or MorphoTrust centers. Electronic results are processed and returned in 4 to 7 business days for the state check. This is the method to use.

Manual fingerprint cards: Paper cards submitted by mail. Manual cards take between 61 and 180 days for the FBI portion to return results. That is a potential six-month wait on a single check, for a choice that costs you nothing extra to avoid.

Every applicant who uses manual fingerprint cards instead of Live Scan and then waits four to six months for clearance results did not need to wait that long. IdentoGo locations are available throughout Maryland. The extra travel time to reach one is almost always less than the months of delay from using paper cards.

Find your nearest IdentoGo location before contacting your LDSS so you are ready to schedule fingerprinting immediately after your initial application.

Out-of-State Clearances

If you or any adult household member has lived outside Maryland at any point in the past five years, your LDSS must request a child protective services clearance from those previous states. This step is frequently overlooked by applicants who have moved recently.

Out-of-state clearances are processed at the pace of the other state's child welfare agency — Maryland has no control over how quickly they respond. Some states are faster than others. Applicants who have lived in multiple states, or who have moved to Maryland recently from states with slower processing, should flag this to their LDSS worker early. The earlier the out-of-state requests are submitted, the less likely they are to delay your overall timeline.

What Disqualifies: Absolute Bars vs. Assessed Barriers

Maryland has two tiers of criminal history outcomes.

Absolute bars to licensure under COMAR 07.02.11 and 07.05.02 include:

• Felony convictions for child abuse, child neglect, or spousal abuse
• Crimes against children, including child pornography
• Crimes of violence: rape, homicide, and similar offenses
• These are permanent disqualifiers regardless of when the conviction occurred

Five-year lookback barriers:

• Any conviction for physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense within the five years before application is a significant barrier. These are not automatically disqualifying in every case — the LDSS conducts an individual assessment — but they carry substantial weight and will require a detailed explanation.

A finding of substantiated child abuse or neglect on the Central Registry search is also a serious barrier that will be individually assessed.

The CPS Clearance Specifically

The Maryland Central Registry check (often called the CPS clearance) is separate from the criminal history check and uses a different submission process. Your LDSS will initiate this request, but you need to be aware that it covers all household members 18 and older — not just the applicants named on the foster care application.

If a registry check returns a prior finding from another state where you lived, that out-of-state finding will also be reviewed. Maryland requests those clearances from other states as part of the multi-registry process.

How to Move Through This Phase Efficiently

The research on Maryland's licensing process is clear: the background check phase causes more delays than any other single step. The applicants who move through it fastest take these steps:

1. Schedule Live Scan fingerprinting at IdentoGO immediately after your initial LDSS contact — do not wait to be prompted
2. Identify all household members aged 18 and older and confirm they are all included in the submission
3. If you have lived outside Maryland in the past five years, tell your LDSS worker at your first meeting so out-of-state requests go out as early as possible
4. Order your certified MVA driving record proactively — it takes a few days and is easy to handle early

The Maryland Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the complete background check and clearance process, what to expect at each stage, and how to keep your application moving forward through Maryland's 24-county system.

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