Criminal Background Checks
All applicants who wish to obtain licensure or registration from the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (the “Board”) are required to have a state and federal criminal background check completed with the Louisiana State Police. The Louisiana State Police (LSP) shall report the result of the criminal background check to the Board, which may use that information to determine the applicant’s moral character and suitability for licensing/registration. LA R.S. 37:2659.1 authorizes the Board to conduct a criminal background check on applicants as a condition for eligibility for licensure/registration. It is the responsibility of the applicant to read and understand the instructions below to complete a criminal background check with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Criminal background reports generated for or by another agency cannot be accepted to satisfy this requirement. The Board is not permitted to issue a grace period, license or registration until the results of the report and a completed application have been received. (Effective May 1, 2019)
For LSP/FBI Applicant Privacy Notice, click here.
Completion time varies from 1 to 8 weeks, depending on circumstances. Criminal history rap sheet findings will extend the completion time. Note that inadequate fingerprints and incorrect payment amount (either too much or too little) will result in delays with the Louisiana State Police (LSP).
Background checks are valid for 90 days upon receipt from the Louisiana State Police (LSP) without an application submitted to the Board. If 90 days passes without a completed application, the background check must be completely reprocessed and resubmitted.
There are two options to complete the required criminal background check:
1. In person at the Louisiana State Police Headquarters
2. By Mail to the Louisiana State Police Headquarters
Please carefully review the instruction sheet below on how to complete the criminal background check. The current fee for the state and federal background check is $39.25. The fee must be made payable to "Louisiana State Police" as specified in the instruction sheet. Upon completion, the Louisiana State Police will forward the results directly to the Board office.
Applicants may check the status of their application by logging into their dashboard. Receipt of the criminal background check or the need for more information will be updated in milestones for license applicants.
If an applicant believes that the criminal history record information is incorrect or incomplete, the procedures to request a change, correction, or update are identified in 28 CFR § 16.34 as stated below:
If, after reviewing his/her identification record, the subject thereof believes that it is incorrect or incomplete in any respect and wishes changes, corrections or updating of the alleged deficiency, he/she should make application directly to the agency which contributed the questioned information. The subject of a record may also direct his/her challenge as to the accuracy or completeness of any entry on his/her record to the FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, ATTN: SCU, Mod. D-2, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306. The FBI will then forward the challenge to the agency which submitted the data requesting that agency to verify or correct the challenged entry. Upon the receipt of an official communication directly from the agency which contributed the original information, the FBI CJIS Division will make any changes necessary in accordance with the information supplied by that agency. [Order No. 1134-86, 51 FR 16677, May 6, 1986, as amended by Order No. 2258-99, 64 FR 52226, Sept. 28, 1999]