To complete Virginia’s Central Registry Release of Information Form, fill every field in black ink using your full legal name and complete address history, sign the original in black ink, and mail it with a $12 money order or cashier’s check payable to the Virginia Department of Social Services to the Office of Background Investigations, 2nd Floor, 5600 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060.1Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form The form authorizes the Department to search its Child Protective Services database for any founded reports of child abuse or neglect linked to you. Notarization is no longer required, but photocopied or scanned signatures are not accepted.
Gather This Information Before You Start
Most rejected forms fail because a field was left blank or an entry was crossed out. The Office of Background Investigations will not accept a form with white-out, correction tape, or strike-throughs, so it pays to assemble everything first and write on the form only once.1Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form
- Your full legal name as it appears on your ID. If your middle name is an initial only, write “initial only.” If you have no middle name, write “NMN.”
- Your maiden name, meaning your last name at birth. This field is mandatory for everyone regardless of gender.
- Every other name you have used: previous married names, nicknames, or legal name changes. If a name change involved a gender change, attach a separate sheet explaining the circumstances.
- Your date of birth, plus dates of birth for every spouse and every child.
- Your Social Security Number.
- A complete residential history with house number, street, apartment, city, state, zip, and start and end dates in month/year format for every address.
- The full name and date of birth of every spouse if you have been married, divorced, or widowed more than once.
- The full names and birth dates of all children you have parented or lived with.
Every question must be answered. If a field genuinely does not apply, write “N/A” rather than leaving it empty.1Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form
Filling Out the Form
Download the current version from the Virginia Department of Social Services or from the employer, agency, or court requesting the search. Use black ink and print clearly, or type directly into the PDF.
Personal Information and Address History
The top of the form captures your identifying details: legal name, maiden name, other names, Social Security Number, and date of birth. The address history causes the most resubmissions. Drafting your address list on a separate sheet first, then transferring it clean to the form, avoids the crossed-out entries that trigger automatic rejection.
Recipient and Search Category
A separate section asks who should receive the results — an employer, a child-placing agency, a court, or you yourself — and which type of search you are requesting, such as an individual request, an agency screening, or an out-of-state inquiry. Choosing the wrong category can delay processing. If you are unsure, ask the organization requiring the search which option it needs.
Signature
Sign and date the form in black ink. Only an original hand signature is accepted; photocopies and scans are not. By signing, you authorize the Virginia Department of Social Services and any local department of social services to release information about any founded child abuse or neglect disposition in which you were identified as responsible.1Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form
Payment and Where to Mail It
The search fee is $12.00, non-refundable, and must accompany the form. Payment must be a money order, cashier’s check, or company or business check made payable to “Virginia Department of Social Services.” Personal checks and cash are not accepted, and a returned check carries a $50.00 fee.1Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form
Mail the signed original and payment to:
Virginia Department of Social Services
Office of Background Investigations, 2nd Floor
5600 Cox Road
Glen Allen, VA 230601Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form
Some volunteers pay nothing. If you are volunteering with a Virginia affiliate of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, Compeer, Childhelp USA, a volunteer fire company, a volunteer EMS agency, or a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) program, the search is free.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 63.2-1515 – Central Registry; Disclosure of Information
Note for Individual Applicants
Virginia has an online portal at centralregistry.dss.virginia.gov, but it is limited to authorized child care programs, facilities, and licensed providers submitting requests for their applicants.3Virginia Department of Social Services. Office of Background Investigations – OBI Provider Portal If you are requesting your own record or submitting the form on your own behalf, use the paper form and mail process above.
Reasons Forms Get Rejected
The Office of Background Investigations rejects forms for a handful of preventable errors:
- Any mandatory field left blank, including maiden name and middle name.
- Any white-out, correction tape, or strike-through on the form. Start over with a fresh copy if you make a mistake.
- Missing payment, a personal check, or cash.
- Photocopied or faxed forms, or reproduced signatures.
- Handwriting the processing staff cannot read.
A rejection means starting over, which can add weeks. Check every field before mailing.1Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form
How Long It Takes
Turnaround depends on whether the search finds a match. Virginia law requires the Department to respond within 10 business days when there is no match for requests from local departments, local school boards, and private school administrators. When a match exists, the window extends to 30 business days.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 63.2-1515 – Central Registry; Disclosure of Information Individual requests routed outside those channels may fall outside these statutory timelines, so build in slack if you are working against a hiring or licensing deadline.
The report states whether you have any founded disposition of child abuse or neglect on Virginia’s Central Registry. A clean result confirms no record was found. If a match appears, the report identifies the founded disposition, and the designated recipient receives that information.
If the Search Finds a Founded Disposition
A founded finding can block employment with children and disqualify foster or adoption applications. If you believe the finding is wrong, Virginia gives you a formal appeal, and the deadlines move fast.
Within 30 days of being notified of a founded disposition, submit a written request to the local department of social services asking them to amend the determination. The local department holds an informal conference to review the original investigation and any new information you provide. The conference and a written decision must happen within 45 days of your request.4Virginia Code Commission. 22VAC40-705-190 – Appeals
If the local department denies your request or fails to act within those 45 days, you have 30 days to request a formal administrative hearing in writing from the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services. A hearing officer schedules the hearing within 45 days and issues a written decision within 60 days after the close of evidence. The hearing officer can sustain, amend, or reverse the local department’s original finding.4Virginia Code Commission. 22VAC40-705-190 – Appeals
One exception: if a criminal investigation or prosecution is pending for the same conduct involving the same child, the appeal is stayed until the criminal case concludes or 180 days pass. Missing the 30-day windows at any stage forfeits that level of review, so record the deadlines as soon as you receive notice.
If You Have Lived in Other States
The Virginia Central Registry search covers only Virginia’s records. Federal law requires states to have procedures for exchanging child abuse and neglect registry information, which usually means your employer or licensing agency must submit separate search requests to each state where you previously lived.5Child Welfare Information Gateway. Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act Virginia’s form includes an out-of-state inquiry option, but each state runs its registry independently, with its own form, fee, and timeline. Confirm with the requesting organization exactly which states need to be searched so nothing is missed.