North Carolina Daycare Background Check and ABCMS Guide

Who Needs a Background Check

Under G.S. § 110-90.2, background checks aren't limited to the person running the daycare. Everyone in the household aged 16 or older must pass a comprehensive criminal background check — even if they never help with child care. Your adult child living at home, your partner, a roommate — anyone residing in the house where children will be cared for.

This catches many applicants off guard, especially those with adult household members who don't plan to interact with enrolled children. The DCDEE requires it regardless of involvement because those individuals have physical access to children in a home setting.

Setting Up Your NCID Account

Each person being checked needs their own individual NCID (North Carolina Identity) account. You create one at ncid.nc.gov by selecting the "Individual" account type. This is separate from the Business NCID you'll need later if you enroll in the state subsidy program — don't mix them up.

The individual NCID grants access to the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS), the portal where you submit and track your background check application.

The ABCMS Process Step by Step

Once logged into ABCMS, you'll complete the application and pay the processing fee — $25 plus a $1.50 online convenience fee, totaling $26.50 per person. Then you need fingerprints.

Fingerprinting happens in person at a local sheriff's department or police department via Livescan electronic capture. Expect to pay an additional $10 to $25 for fingerprinting, depending on the agency. Your prints are submitted directly to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the FBI.

The background check searches:

• State and federal fingerprint databases
• State and national Sex Offender Registries
• Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) database for state criminal records
• The Responsible Individuals List (RIL) — substantiated cases of child abuse or severe neglect maintained by county Departments of Social Services
• The Child Maltreatment Registry (CMR) — child care-setting abuse and neglect since January 2016

If anyone in the household has lived outside North Carolina in the past five years, they need separate registry checks from those states, submitted directly to the DCDEE Criminal Background Check Unit.

Timelines and Renewal

Processing times vary, but plan for several weeks. The resulting Criminal Background Check Qualification Letter is valid for five years. Set a reminder to renew at least six months before expiration — an expired letter means you can't legally operate until a new one is issued.

While a background check is processing, an individual can serve as a provisional caregiver under strict conditions: they must be supervised at all times by a fully qualified person and cannot be left alone with children.

What Triggers Disqualification

The DCDEE evaluates results against specific disqualifying offenses and registries. A disqualified individual cannot remain employed or live in the licensed home while that determination applies.

For other offenses, the DCDEE may conduct an individualized assessment considering the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and evidence of rehabilitation. If you disagree with a written disqualification, you may challenge the record and file a civil action in district court within 60 days.

Getting It Right the First Time

Background check fees are non-refundable, and sequencing matters. Don't pay for everyone's background checks before confirming that your home's zoning allows a daycare — that's money you can't recover if zoning says no.

The North Carolina Home Daycare Licensing Guide puts the background check in the right place in the overall timeline and walks through exactly how to navigate NCID, ABCMS, and the fingerprinting process for every household member.

See more North Carolina guides →