Criminal background checks necessary before out-of-home placement of a child.
Utah Code § 80-3-305
in effect80-3-305. Criminal background checks necessary before out-of-home placement of a child.
(1) Subject to Subsection (3), upon ordering removal of a child from the custody of the child's parent and placing that child in the temporary custody or custody of the division before the division places a child in out-of-home care, the juvenile court shall require the completion of a nonfingerprint-based background check by the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification regarding the proposed placement.
(2)
(a) Except as provided in Subsection (4), the division or the Office of Guardian Ad Litem may request, or the juvenile court upon the juvenile court's own motion, may order, the Department of Public Safety to conduct a complete Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check through the national criminal history system (NCIC).
(b)
(i) Except as provided in Subsection (4), upon request by the division or the Office of Guardian ad Litem, or upon the juvenile court's order, an individual subject to the requirements of Subsection (1) shall submit fingerprints and shall be subject to an FBI fingerprint background check.
(ii) The child may be temporarily placed, pending the outcome of the background check described in Subsection (2)(b)(i).
(c)
(i) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(c)(ii), the cost of the investigations described in Subsection (2)(a) shall be borne by whoever is to receive placement of the child.
(ii) The division may pay all or part of the cost of the investigations described in Subsection (2)(a).
(3) Except as provided in Subsection (5), a child who is in the protective custody, temporary custody, or custody of the division may not be placed with a prospective foster parent or a prospective adoptive parent, unless, before the child is placed with the prospective foster parent or the prospective adoptive parent:
(a) a fingerprint based FBI national criminal history records check is conducted on the prospective foster parent or prospective adoptive parent and any other adult residing in the household;
(b) the department conducts a check of the abuse and neglect registry in each state where the prospective foster parent or prospective adoptive parent resided in the five years immediately before the day on which the prospective foster parent or prospective adoptive parent applied to be a foster parent or adoptive parent, to determine whether the prospective foster parent or prospective adoptive parent is listed in the registry as having a substantiated or supported finding of a severe type of abuse or neglect;
(c) the department conducts a check of the abuse and neglect registry of each state where each adult living in the home of the prospective foster parent or prospective adoptive parent described in Subsection (3)(b) resided in the five years immediately before the day on which the prospective foster parent or prospective adoptive parent applied to be a foster parent or adoptive parent, to determine whether the adult is listed in the registry as having a substantiated or supported finding of a severe type of abuse or neglect; and
(d) each individual required to undergo a background check described in this Subsection (3) passes the background check, in accordance with the provisions of Section 26B-2-120.
(4) Subsections (2)(a) and (b) do not apply to a child who is placed with a noncustodial parent or relative under Section 80-2a-301, 80-3-302, or 80-3-303, unless the juvenile court finds that compliance with Subsection (2)(a) or (b) is necessary to ensure the safety of the child.
(5) The requirements under Subsection (3) do not apply to the extent that:
(a) federal law or rule permits otherwise; or
(b) the requirements would prohibit the division or a juvenile court from placing a child with:
(i) a noncustodial parent, under Section 80-2a-301, 80-3-302, or 80-3-303; or
(ii) a relative, under Section 80-2a-301, 80-3-302, or 80-3-303, pending completion of the background check described in Subsection (3).
Amended by Chapter 330, 2023 General Session
Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title80/Chapter3/80-3-S305.html?v=C80-3-S305_2023050320230503Fetched: 10/26/2026