An Arkansas Adult Maltreatment Check is a search of the state’s Adult and Long-Term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry, and you request it through the Department of Human Services online portal in three steps: generate the request form, upload it signed, and pay the fee. The base cost is $10 per search, with a small online processing fee on top. Nonprofit agencies and indigent individuals pay nothing.
How to Request the Check
DHS runs the process online in three stages. Employers and licensing boards usually start the request, but you can also request a check on yourself.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. Adult Maltreatment Registry Background Check Request
Stage 1: Generate the Request Form
Open the Adult Maltreatment Registry Request Form Generator on the DHS website. Fill in the subject’s name, date of birth, and the other identifying information the form asks for, then submit. DHS emails the completed form to the address you provided. You can sign it electronically through the signature prompts, or download it, print it, and sign in front of a notary. The notarized paper option is the fallback if electronic signing isn’t available or the requesting entity wants a physical copy.
Stage 2: Upload the Signed Form
Save the signed form to your computer, then go to the Central Registry Form Uploader on the DHS site. You can send a single request or upload several signed forms at once for batch processing. Each person being checked needs their own signed form. After uploading, click “Submit and Pay” to move to the payment portal.
Stage 3: Pay
Payment runs through Ark Gov Pay. If no founded record exists, DHS issues a clearance letter. If a record is found, both you and the requesting entity are notified of the result.
What It Costs and Who Pays Nothing
Fees are set by statute and capped at $10 for the search itself. The breakdown:1Arkansas Department of Human Services. Adult Maltreatment Registry Background Check Request
- Single request: $10 for the search plus a $1 online processing fee ($11 total).
- Multiple requests paid by credit card: $10 per search, plus 3% of the total, plus a $2 processing fee.
- Multiple requests paid by e-check: $10 per search plus a $2 processing fee.
Two groups pay nothing. Nonprofit and volunteer agencies are exempt, but they must send proof of 501(c)(3) status with each request. Indigent individuals are also exempt. The statute does not leave this to discretion; it says no fee may be charged to either group.2Justia. Arkansas Code 12-12-1716 – Adult and Long-term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry
Who Is Required to Get One
Arkansas service providers must run a registry records check on job applicants before making a hiring decision. Under Ark. Code Ann. 20-38-103, the provider has to tell the applicant that employment depends on satisfactory background check results, and has to run both a criminal history check and a registry check. If the provider can’t confirm the applicant has lived in Arkansas continuously for the past five years, a fingerprint-based FBI background check is required on top of the state searches.
The jobs covered include healthcare workers, long-term care facility staff, home health aides, assisted living employees, and hospice workers. The federal CMS National Background Check Program reinforces this for prospective direct patient access employees at long-term care facilities, home health agencies, hospice providers, and residential care facilities.3CMS. CMS National Background Check Program
Volunteer roles can also trigger the requirement when they involve unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults. Adult day care centers, community programs serving elderly or disabled adults, and organizations placing guardians or foster caregivers may require the check for volunteers as well as paid staff.
DHS has been directed to build an automated system that lets a single web-based search cover three registries at once: the Adult Maltreatment Central Registry, the Child Maltreatment Central Registry, and the Certified Nursing Assistant/Employment Clearance Registry. If you’re hiring in a covered field, check whether that consolidated portal is live before running separate searches.
What the Registry Covers
The registry is maintained by DHS under the Adult and Long-Term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Act and lists people with founded investigative findings in four categories: abuse, neglect, exploitation, and sexual abuse of elderly or disabled adults.4Justia. Arkansas Code 12-12-1703 – Definitions Adult Protective Services investigates complaints involving adults living in the community; the Office of Long-Term Care handles complaints at long-term care facilities.5Arkansas Department of Human Services. Adult Maltreatment A name is placed on the registry only after an investigation returns a founded determination and the person either doesn’t request an administrative hearing in time or loses that hearing.2Justia. Arkansas Code 12-12-1716 – Adult and Long-term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry
Why a Request Can Stall or Come Back Negative
The most direct reason for a denied clearance is that the applicant’s name is on the registry with a founded finding. When that happens, no clearance letter is issued, and the result is reported to the employer or licensing agency.
Administrative problems are the other common holdup. A missing signature, a form that needed notarization and didn’t get it, or an incorrect date of birth will stop the search. So will payment issues such as cash, a temporary check, or an expired payment method. Check every field before you upload; mistakes mean starting over.
An unresolved investigation can also create a gray area. If APS is actively investigating a complaint against the applicant, the check may be flagged or delayed until the case is closed. If you’re told a case is pending, ask about the expected timeline.
If Your Name Is on the Registry
A founded determination doesn’t put you on the registry immediately. You get notice first, and you have 30 calendar days from that notice to request an administrative hearing.6Arkansas Department of Human Services. File an Appeal Miss that window and your name is added automatically.2Justia. Arkansas Code 12-12-1716 – Adult and Long-term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry
The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services within DHS.7Code of Arkansas Rules. 20 CAR 435-111 – Appeal Process At the hearing you can appear in person or through an attorney, present evidence, and question witnesses.8Justia. Arkansas Code 25-15-213 – Hearings Generally If the hearing upholds the finding, your name goes on the registry. From there, you can seek judicial review in circuit court under the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act, but the court works from the existing record rather than holding a new trial, so what you put on at the administrative hearing matters.9Justia. Arkansas Code 25-15-212 – Administrative Adjudication – Judicial Review
Removal is still possible once your name is on the list. You can file a petition with the Adult Protective Services Unit of DHS asking that your name be taken off. A review team evaluates the petition and may ask for more information, which you must provide within 10 calendar days, or 13 days if the request is mailed.10New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. 016.26.6-5 – Determination of Name Removal Request by an Offender If the petition is denied or you miss the deadline for additional information, you have to wait a full year before filing again. There is no automatic expiration; a name stays on the registry unless it’s removed under a statute or rule, or the offender wins on appeal.2Justia. Arkansas Code 12-12-1716 – Adult and Long-term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry Waiting it out isn’t a strategy.