Minnesota law now requires that all applicants for initial licensure or license reinstatement must complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check (Minn. Stat. § 214.075). Fingerprints are crosschecked with databases of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Minnesota Health Licensing Boards have established the Criminal Background Check (CBC) Program to help you efficiently complete this mandatory background check. When you apply for licensure/reinstatement, the CBC fee will be added to your application fee and paid at the same time. Upon receipt of your application and fee, you will be mailed a packet from the CBC office containing additional information and directions. The time required to complete a CBC varies with the workload at the BCA and cannot be expedited. During periods of high volume, the BCA’s search of records may take weeks. Please direct any questions you have about the CBC process to the CBC Program staff.
The CBC fingerprints and consent from must be submitted within 90-days of your application and the report is good for one year from the date the Board receives it. If either timeline expires, you will need to submit a new CBC request and fee. Consider this timeline if your application may take longer than one year. For example, if you are not due to graduate for more than eight months. Additionally, any applicant that refuses a criminal background check, or has failed to submit fingerprints within 90 days of the application will be denied a license.
Previously taken fingerprints cannot be used. Criminal history reports cannot be shared between agencies or used for multiple license applications. Please direct any questions you have about the CBC process to the CBC Program staff.
If you dispute the results of your criminal history report and wish to challenge its contents, direct your request to the CBC Staff.
The 2019 Legislature has modified the Criminal Background Check (CBC) requirement. Effective May 23, 2019, the CBC requirement for a lapsed license has changed requiring that a CBC is now required for any license that has lapsed for over one year. This includes suspension, revocation, and terminated for non-renewal or CE audit failure, etc. The one year begins on the date the license is removed from "active" status, i.e. expired, suspended revoked, etc. This does not apply to statuses in which the license is allowed to continue to practice, i.e. Inactive-practicing in another jurisdiction, probation or stayed-suspension. The previous language required a CBC for any "lapse" which the board interpreted to exclude expired status. This allowed a short window in which the licensee could renew vs. reinstate thus avoid the CBC requirement. However, the previous language of the law required all "lapsed licenses" (terminations, suspensions, and revocations) complete a CBC regardless of how long the license was not active.
If you have any questions about the CBC Program or results, please contact the CBC Program Staff:
Criminal Background Check Program
2829 University Avenue SE, Suite 555
Minneapolis, MN 55414-4202
(651) 201-2822
Website: https://mn.gov/boards/cbc/
Email: cbc.staff@state.mn.us
