Alabama Teacher Background Check

How It Works

Every candidate for Alabama teacher certification — initial, additional endorsement, or renewal reinstatement — must clear a criminal background check through both the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (ASBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This is mandated by the Alabama Child Protection Act of 1999, and there are no exceptions.

The state uses Fieldprint as its authorized fingerprinting vendor. Here's the step-by-step sequence:

1. Log into your AIM account at aim.alsde.edu and click the "Fieldprint Background Check" link. This registers your background check and links it to your unique ALSDE identification number.

2. Register and pay on the Fieldprint portal. The system redirects you to Fieldprint Alabama (fieldprintalabama.com) where you pay the fee and schedule an appointment. Payment options: debit card, credit card, or PayPal.

3. Get fingerprinted. Visit your scheduled Livescan fingerprint collection site for electronic scanning. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID.

4. Wait for results. Your fingerprints are transmitted to the ASBI and FBI for review. Suitability status updates in the ALSDE's TCERT system within 2 to 5 business days for electronic Livescan scans.

5. Check your status. Track your suitability determination through the TCERT portal. Once cleared, your AIM account reflects the clearance, and ALSDE issues a suitability letter.

Fees

• In-state electronic Livescan: $46.20
• Out-of-state fingerprint card processing: $56.15

These are one-time fees per background check. If your certificate lapses and you need reinstatement, you'll need a new background check and pay the fee again.

Out-of-State Candidates

If you live outside Alabama and can't visit a Livescan site in person, Fieldprint offers a physical fingerprint card option:

1. During the Fieldprint registration process (after being redirected from AIM), request physical fingerprint cards
2. Take the cards to a local law enforcement agency and have an officer trained in fingerprinting techniques complete them
3. Mail the completed cards back to Fieldprint for scanning and transmission

The out-of-state card processing fee is $56.15 and takes 7 to 14 business days from when Fieldprint receives the physical cards — significantly longer than the 2-to-5-day electronic Livescan turnaround. If you're relocating to Alabama, start this process early.

What Disqualifies You

Under Alabama law (Act 2002-457), an applicant is deemed unsuitable for a teaching certificate or public school employment if they've been convicted of:

• A felony child abuse crime
• Any offense involving physical or mental injury to a child
• Sexual abuse or exploitation of a child
• Severe maltreatment of a child

If the ALSDE determines you're unsuitable based on your background results, certification is denied and your application is closed.

State Clearance vs. District Hiring

An important distinction that catches people: ALSDE background clearance does not guarantee employment with any school district. Local school boards maintain separate authority over their hiring decisions.

Some districts add their own layers on top of state clearance:

• Mobile County Public Schools requires a pre-employment drug screening for all selected certified personnel
• Gulf Shores City Schools requires E-Verify review of identity and employment eligibility
• Birmingham City Schools requires compliance with their own E-Verify and HireTrue platform checks

You can hold a valid state certificate and still be denied employment by a specific district based on their local policies. State clearance is necessary but not sufficient for getting hired.

Timing Your Background Check

Your background check should be one of the first things you do in the certification process — not because it takes long (electronic results are fast at 2 to 5 days), but because nothing else moves without it. School districts cannot legally place you in a classroom without active ASBI/FBI suitability clearance in the state system.

Run your background check concurrently with your Praxis exam registration. Both can proceed in parallel, and having both cleared when you apply to districts makes you immediately sponsorable for an alternative certificate.

The Alabama Teacher Certification Guide sequences the background check alongside transcript submissions, testing registration, and application deadlines so you can run everything on the shortest possible timeline.

See more Alabama guides →