Office of Professional Certification

Before students will be permitted to register for any course with a field experience component or initiate a research activity that involves school-based contact with children, they must have updated clearances on file with OPC. If clearances are not current, the student’s registration and/or field placement will be delayed until updated documentation is on file with the OPC. If anything other than "negative" or "no record exists" is reported on a student's documentation, the exact nature of the reported health or criminal record issue will be reviewed by the OPC Director in accordance with the College of Education Policy on Clearances. Depending on the outcome of that review, the student may not be placed in field or research experiences until all documentation is clear. If any action is needed in response to any clearance check, that action is solely the responsibility of the student, not the College of Education faculty or staff.

After obtaining all 5 clearances, bring your FBI secure registration ID# and all original documents to the OPC (Iacocca A308) so we can make copies for our records, as required by law.

It is the student’s responsibility to keep clearance documents current by obtaining annual updates throughout his/her academic program and presenting originals to the OPC upon receipt for verification and copying.

Be sure to store your original clearance documents in a secure location and to always keep them with you when dealing with children. The schools are mandated by PDE to check original clearances for anyone entering the building likely to be in direct contact with children. Lehigh students must have up to date (not more than one year old), original documents available for school administrators upon request during all field assignments. Failure to produce documentation upon request will result in removal from the schools.

The OPC is not permitted to replace lost clearances and will not supply copies on your behalf to the schools.

Decisions to admit students into public school practicum or internship placements are solely the purview of school districts. The department and/or program does not debate the merits of any school district decision in relation to clearance check results. If a student is arrested during his/her field placement or research experience, the Program Director will remove the student from the field placement or research experience pending dispensation of the arrest incident.

Request your "New Record Check" through the PATCH system found at https://epatch.pa.gov/home

Please Note: The volunteer check is not acceptable for school districts and other child serving placements.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania uses the IdentoGO system for electronic fingerprinting for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history background checks.

When you visit the IdentoGO website, you will be asked to enter your Service Code. If you are completing any sort of observations, field work, practicum, internship, or student teaching experiences in a school, you will use the following code: 1KG6RT

Please Note: There is a cost associated with this transaction that you will pay directly to IdentoGo. 

Please check the IdentoGo website for current fingerprinting locations and hours.  Because these sites handle more than just fingerprinting, it is strongly recommended that you make an appointment to ensure the best use of your time.

Lehigh’s Parking Services is an approved IdentoGo site for Lehigh students. If you intend to use this site, enter SP-LHV instead of a zip code in the enrollment center search. No walk-ins will be accepted at the Lehigh Parking Services location.

As with the previous process, you will receive a receipt for your transaction and will receive an email a few weeks after your appointment containing a UEID# and unofficial results.

Important: Once you have logged in to see your results, you will have ONE chance to download and save your clearance. 

You will not receive documentation with official results; the only way to access the official results is for approved entities to run the UEID# electronically.

Please refer to the IdentoGo FAQ for additional information.

Online requests are made through the PA State Compass website at https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home. You must indicate that you are a School District Employee. Although you are not employed by Lehigh or the district you are working in, Lehigh is a covered school entity in this category. Please review the FAQs on the Compass website for more information.

Please Note: There is a cost for this clearance that you must pay directly to Childline. 

The PA required Child Abuse History Clearance can be found on this page.

The request must be for a "School Employee Governed by the School Code" and the cost is $13.

Background about the clearance for Child Abuse can be found on the PDE website.

Students may obtain the TB clearance from the Lehigh University Health Center; however, the Health Center no longer does the PPD test. The Health Center fee is $75 but can be submitted to insurance for reimbursement. Students who have university student health insurance will have the cost covered completely. The results are available 48 hours after the blood draw. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 610-758-3870. 

If you choose not to use the University Health Center, our office requires signed documentation from your doctor that indicates the results of your test.

Teacher candidates must complete Form PDE-6004 - Arrest or Conviction Report to have on file in the OPC. Additionally, schools may request candidates to sign a form for their files.