Background Check Requirements: What Can Disqualify Someone from Working in Florida Corrections (incl. Liberty CI)

Florida law doesn't treat a correctional job like a typical workplace role. One baseline requirement is "good moral character," determined through a background investigation conducted under commission procedures. Your history and credibility matter here. The background check isn't a formality - it's how the state decides whether you should be entrusted with correctional authority.

A felony conviction is a hard statutory disqualifier for Florida correctional officer employment. The statute goes further: for certain felony outcomes - pleading guilty or nolo contendere, or being found guilty - you're ineligible even if the sentence was suspended or adjudication was withheld. If you're trying to assess eligibility, start here. Any felony history can stop the process before anything else gets considered.

Florida law also disqualifies applicants convicted of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement. These offenses get treated differently from other misdemeanors because they strike at honesty and trustworthiness - core issues in corrections work where reports, statements, and testimony carry serious weight. As with felonies, certain guilty or no-contest pleas can make someone ineligible regardless of withheld adjudication.

A dishonorable discharge from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces is another categorical disqualifier. If this applies to you, it's a direct barrier to being hired or appointed into a covered corrections position.

"Good moral character" isn't something you self-certify and move on from. The statute ties it to a background investigation conducted under commission procedures. That means the hiring process can go well beyond a quick database check - this requirement lets the commission and employing agency evaluate whether you meet the character standard the law demands.

Fingerprint Requirement

• ✓ Documentation of processed fingerprints must be on file with the employing agency.
• ✓ If you’re a contractor-employed correctional officer, the processed fingerprint documentation must be on file with the Florida Department of Corrections or the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC).

Florida law requires you to execute and submit an affidavit-of-applicant. It's a commission-adopted form where you attest that you meet the statute's listed qualifications (subsections (1) through (7)). Whether you're applying through an employing agency or through a contractor/governmental entity arrangement, expect this affidavit to be part of your required hiring paperwork.

Some qualifications verified during a background review are straightforward, but they can still disqualify you if you don't meet them. Florida's statute requires applicants to be at least 19 years old, with one exception: people employed as full-time, part-time, or auxiliary correctional officers can be at least 18. You must also be a U.S. citizen. Education is another checkpoint. The statute requires you to be a high school graduate or have an "equivalent" as the commission defines by rule. If you're helping someone apply, gather documentation for these basics early - proof of age, citizenship, and diploma/equivalency - because they're typically confirmed alongside the rest of the background investigation.