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State Police Background Check
Compare Pennsylvania PATCH and Virginia criminal-history request routes, then confirm the required authorization, state coverage and delivery before applying.
“State police background check” is a category, not one national product
| First question | Why it matters | Official example |
|---|---|---|
| Which state’s record is required? | Each state defines its own repository, request products, eligibility and delivery rules. | Pennsylvania uses State Police/PATCH; Virginia uses Virginia State Police; New York’s official criminal-history repository is DCJS, not a generic “state police” portal. |
| Is this your own record, a public third-party check, or an authorized employment/licensing check? | Those purposes can have different access rules even inside one state. | New York DCJS allows a person to request their own fingerprint-based criminal history but says the official record is not public and cannot be requested for another person merely to see whether they have a history. |
| Does the recipient require fingerprints or a specific form? | A name-based state search may not satisfy a fingerprint, licensing, volunteer or statutory program. | Virginia SP-167 is a mailed Virginia criminal-history request with notarized signatures; other VSP programs use fingerprints for defined purposes. |
| Is a federal record required too? | State coverage is not automatically nationwide. | Pennsylvania describes its PATCH check as Pennsylvania criminal-history information; Virginia separately identifies national/FBI routes. |
The agency name itself varies by state
Pennsylvania: State Police / PATCH
The Pennsylvania State Police page currently lists an individual criminal-history check at $22, a free volunteer check, and a separate $20 individual access-and-review request by mail. PATCH status uses a control number and request date.
Virginia: State Police / SP-167
Virginia State Police says SP-167 is a Virginia criminal-history request and currently estimates roughly 15 business days after mail receipt; the form process requires notarized signatures. It is not an instant nationwide service.
New York: Division of Criminal Justice Services
New York DCJS says it is the only official source for New York State criminal-history records. A person requesting their own record must submit fingerprints; DCJS says those official records are not public third-party reports.
Other states use still other centralized agencies
The FBI’s State Identification Bureau listing shows examples such as a Department of Public Safety, State Police, Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation or other centralized identification bureau. The correct custodian must be resolved state by state.
Use this routing checklist before paying or submitting fingerprints
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Write down the state and purpose.
“Employment,” “licensing,” “volunteer,” “personal review,” and “general public request” are not interchangeable labels.
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Ask the recipient for the exact product.
If an employer, board or agency gives a form number, fingerprint code, ORI or statutory program, follow that route instead of substituting a generic name search.
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Confirm geographic coverage.
A state repository check can be narrower than a national/FBI check; a court search can be narrower or simply different from repository criminal history.
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Keep the request identifier.
Where the state issues a control/transaction number, save it with the submission date so you can use the state’s own status channel.
Do not transplant one state’s fees, forms or access rules to another
State-specific means state-specific
Pennsylvania’s PATCH prices and control-number tracking, Virginia’s SP-167 notarization, and New York DCJS fingerprint/access limits are verified examples—not universal rules. Use the FBI State Identification Bureau listing to identify the centralized state agency, then read that agency’s current instructions for the exact purpose before submitting personal information or payment.