What Loudon County Checks When You Apply to Visit or Volunteer (Background-Check Guide)

Loudon County runs background checks for some applicants because certain opportunities come with added access and responsibility. One clear example: the Loudon County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Law Enforcement Academy, offered to Loudon County residents each Spring and Fall. Openings are limited, and the application notes that a background check is required for admission.

Types Records

• ✓ Criminal history records
• ✓ Education and school information
• ✓ Credentials
• ✓ References
• ✓ Driving record (MVR)
• ✓ Signed authorization allowing Loudon County to request information from public and private sources (including law enforcement agencies, public agencies such as SSA, institutions, schools, employers, references, and insurance companies)

Applying for a position that requires access to children? Loudon County's screening can go beyond a basic conviction check. The County's form says it may obtain records related to pending criminal charges of any kind, convictions that resulted in suspended or reduced sentences, and investigations by the Department of Children's Services and/or the Department of Health. For certain child-access roles, fingerprinting can also be part of verifying criminal history information (covered more below).

For positions involving direct care of, or contact with, elderly or disabled individuals, Loudon County's application states it will check the Vulnerable Persons Registry on top of a criminal history check. If the position is with the County Health Department, the County also states it will check the applicant's name against the Office of Inspector General's list of debarred individuals, along with the criminal history and Vulnerable Persons Registry checks.

Fingerprint samples may be required for applicants whose role would put them close to school children, or give them access to children in a childcare agency or detention center. Loudon County’s application states that, in those situations, you must agree to provide fingerprints so your criminal history information can be verified.

Loudon County's application also addresses how background checks may be conducted. If the County uses consumer reporting agencies and obtains consumer reports, it states the process will follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

1. Disclose charges and be ready with details. Loudon County Sheriff’s Office applications require you to disclose criminal charges of any kind, and if you have pending charges in any jurisdiction, you are expected to provide details. The County may also seek information about your criminal history, education, credentials, references, and driving record, and your signature can authorize sources (like schools, employers, references, and agencies) to share information.
2. Plan for extra screening if the role involves children or other vulnerable people. Positions that involve access to children can trigger checks for pending charges, certain conviction outcomes (including suspended or reduced sentences), and DCS or Department of Health investigations. Some child-access roles also require fingerprint samples to verify criminal history information, and elderly or disabled care roles can include a Vulnerable Persons Registry check (with additional screening for County Health Department roles).