Central Registry Clearance Requests

Child Care Organizations as defined in the Child Care Organizations Act 116 of 1973: "Child care organization" means a governmental or nongovernmental organization having as its principal function receiving minor children for care, maintenance, training, and supervision, notwithstanding that educational instruction may be given. Child care organization includes organizations commonly described as child caring institutions, child placing agencies, children's camps, children's campsites, children's therapeutic group homes, child care centers, day care centers, nursery schools, parent cooperative preschools, foster homes, group homes, or child care homes.

Michigan Child Care Family Homes, Child Care Group Homes and Child Care Centers      

The following individuals connected to a licensed child care provider must have a comprehensive background check, including FBI fingerprints:

• Applicants/Licensees
• Licensee designees
• Program directors
• Child care staff members
• Unsupervised volunteers
• Adult household members in child care homes

A central registry clearance is completed at the time of a Child Care Background Check, conducted by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). For further information regarding child care background checks, visit MiLEAP’s Child Care Background Check website at www.michigan.gov/ccbc. 

Providers with questions regarding to the need for additional central registry clearances should contact their licensing consultant at MiLEAP. 

Camp Organizations and Children’s Campsites             

Camp staff and unsupervised volunteers 21 years or older must have a central registry abuse/neglect clearance. Michigan residents who need a central registry clearance must submit the request at www.michigan.gov/ccbc-camps. For more information, such as how to submit a request or how to obtain a clearance if you are not a Michigan resident, please visit the Camp licensing background clearances page and click on the Central Registry (Abuse/Neglect) Clearance section.   

Michigan Contracted Residential Institution Facilities

MDHHS contracted licensed residential foster care institutions requesting a background check that includes a central registry clearance for licensure, and employment, complete Licensing Record Clearance Request, Child Caring Institute Staff, CWL-1326-CCI-Staff form and submit to the Division of Child Welfare and Licensing’s (DCWL’s) email: MDHHS-LASO-DCWL@michigan.gov

Michigan Non-Contracted Residential Institution Facilities

Non-contracted residential foster care institutes requesting a background check that includes a central registry clearance must complete the following:  For a background check, complete, Children’s Protective Services History Review Request form, CWL-4624 and submit to the Division of Child Welfare and Licensing’s (DCWL’s) email: MDHHS-CPSBackgroundChecks@michigan.gov.

Michigan Child Placing Agencies (CPAs)                                          

In-state child placing agencies child care organizations requesting a background check, that includes a central registry clearance for purposes of employment/volunteer and/or placement, complete Children’s Protective Services History Review Request form, CWL-4624 and submit to the Division of Child Welfare and Licensing’s (DCWL’s) email: MDHHS-CPSBackgroundChecks@michigan.gov. 

Substitute Caregiver in a Michigan Licensed Foster Home

In-state child placing agencies requesting a central registry clearance on a substitute caregiver in a licensed foster home, complete the Central Registry Clearance Request - DHS-1929 or Central Registry Clearance Request (Spanish) - DHS-1929-SP form that provides authorization for MDHHS to complete the requested clearance. On the form, type or write the purpose as “Substitute Caregiver” and submit to the local MDHHS office.

Michigan Foster Home Licensing

For Michigan prospective foster homes, foster parents must connect with a Michigan child placing agency and attend an orientation. After orientation, the child placing agency will provide all necessary clearances for background checks that the agency will then submit to the Division of Child Welfare and Licensing’s (DCWL’s) email: MDHHS-LASO-DCWL@michigan.gov for processing.

Out-of-State Adoption and Foster Home Screening    

The Division of Child Welfare Licensing (DCWL) will conduct Central Registry clearances for out-of-state agencies for the following purposes:

1) Licensing foster homes.
2) Adoption screening.

All requests must come from the child placing agency working with the foster or adoptive applicant. The request must be in writing on the requester's letterhead stating the reason for the request (example: foster home licensing, adoptive placement, etc.) and must include all of the following:

1) Name and title of individual requesting the information.
2) Contact information (phone, fax numbers, email address, etc.)
3) Name of the individuals you are requesting to be cleared.
4) The individual your agency is requesting to be cleared must complete the Central Registry Clearance Request - DHS-1929 or Central Registry Clearance Request (Spanish) - DHS-1929-SP form that provides authorization for MDHHS to complete the requested clearance. All submissions must include the applicant’s valid driver's license.
5) The attached 1929(s) must accompany the agency request.

Requests can be emailed to the following:

Email:MDHHS-DCWL-OSCR@michigan.gov

NOTE:  If seeking a central registry clearance for employment at an Out-of-state employer and volunteer agency, visit: Employers and Volunteer Agencies section III, herein this website.

Individuals requesting a Central Registry clearance on themselves.

Note: Minors/dependents who require a central registry clearance check must have a parent or guardian complete the request on their behalf.

Michigan Residents: Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with a copy of your legal photo ID, to a local MDHHS office.

Out-of-State Residents: Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with a copy of your legal photo ID, to Out-of-State Central Registry via Mail, Fax, or Email:

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 
Children's Protective Services Program
P.O. Box 30037
Lansing, MI 48909
Fax: 517-763-0280
*Email: MDHHS-Outofstate-Central-Registry@michigan.gov
Phone: 517-335-3704

*MDHHS strives to protect client confidentiality. If using email to communicate with MDHHS, please encrypt the email to protect the client’s information. If encryption is not available, please mail or fax the request.

Wyatt’s Law

Effective November 1, 2022, Public Act 64 of 2022 (Wyatt’s Law) provides that a parent or other person responsible for a child, who has reason to believe another caregiver may place that child at risk, may receive confirmation of central registry placement of that caregiver.

If the requester has an active Friend of the Court case, the request must be processed through Friend of the Court:

• The requester must complete the DHS-1929-W or DHS-1929-W SP form, including the name of the individual being cleared, their address, the individual’s date of birth, and their social security number, if known.

• The requester must submit the completed form to the local Friend of the Court office.

• Friend of the Court will submit the request to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on the requester’s behalf at MDHHS-FOC-CentralRegistryClearanceRequests@michigan.gov.

• If approved, the results will be issued to the requester.

If the requester does not have an active Friend of the Court case:

• The requester must complete the DHS-1929-W or DHS-1929-W SP form, including the name of the individual being cleared, their address, the individual’s date of birth, and their social security number, if known

• The requester must submit the completed form to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services directly at
  MDHHS-FOC-CentralRegistryClearanceRequests@michigan.gov.

• If approved, the results will be issued to the requester.

Note: Incomplete requests or requests that do not meet statutory requirements will not be processed.

Agencies or organizations requesting a Central Registry clearance for potential employees or volunteers, including participation in school or university coursework programs. Employment or volunteer work must include contact with children as required by the Michigan Child Protection Law.

Note: Minors or dependents who require a Central Registry clearance check must have a parent or guardian complete the request on their behalf.

Michigan Agency: Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with a copy of the legal photo ID, to the local MDHHS office in the county where the employer or volunteer agency is located.

Out-of-State Agency: Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with a copy of the legal photo ID, to Out-of-State Central Registry via Mail, Fax, or Email:

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 
Children's Protective Services Program
P.O. Box 30037
Lansing, MI 48909
Fax: 517-763-0280
*Email: MDHHS-Outofstate-Central-Registry@michigan.gov
Phone: 517-335-3704

*MDHHS strives to protect client confidentiality. If using email to communicate with MDHHS, please encrypt the email to protect the client’s information. If encryption is not available, please mail or fax the request.

NOTE: Out-of-state agencies seeking foster care and/or adoption screening, visit section 1, herein this website.

Courts, L-GALs, prosecuting attorney’s and/or police/Law enforcement requesting a Central Registry clearance, only as allowable pursuant to the purposes outlined within the Michigan Child Protection Law.

Courts: A court needing a Central Registry clearance when determining the suitability of a minor's guardian, an issue before the court, and/or in the event of a child's death. Must submit a completed DHS-1929 form along with a court order/petition signed by a judge.

Lawyer Guardian Ad-Litem (L-GAL): A Michigan L-GAL or other attorney appointed as provided by Section 10 in the Child Protection Law, MCL 722.630, Sec 10. Must submit a the completed DHS-1929 form along with a court order in a child abuse or child neglect matter appointing the attorney as an LGAL for the child/children.

Prosecuting Attorney (PA): A Michigan Prosecuting Attorney requesting a Central Registry clearance when investigating a report of known or suspected child abuse or child neglect. Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with a copy of your legal photo ID.

Police or Law Enforcement (LE): A police agency or other law enforcement agency requesting a Central Registry clearance when investigating a report of known or suspected child abuse or child neglect. Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with a copy of your legal photo ID.

Michigan Agency: Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with the noted required documentation, to a local MDHHS office where agency is located.

Out-of-State Agency: Submit the completed DHS-1929 form, along with the noted required documentation, to Out-of-State Central Registry via Mail, Fax, or Email:

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 
Children's Protective Services Program
P.O. Box 30037
Lansing, MI 48909
Fax: 517-763-0280
*Email: MDHHS-Outofstate-Central-Registry@michigan.gov
Phone: 517-335-3704

*MDHHS strives to protect client confidentiality. If using email to communicate with MDHHS, please encrypt the email to protect the client’s information. If encryption is not available, please mail or fax the request.

NOTE: A trial court requesting placement or removal of an individual from Central Registry, refer to Section V, Trial Court Central Registry Placement or Removal.

FOR TRIAL COURT USE ONLY

For trial court requests for central registry placement or removal in relation to a criminal conviction that occurred on or after November 1, 2022, complete the MDHHS-6023, Request for Central Registry Placement or Removal form and send the form, along with the Order of Conviction (Judgement of Sentence) or the Order Granting the Request for Removal, to MDHHS-CriminalConviction-Central-RegistryRequests@michigan.gov.

MDHHS Local County Offices: Composite Directory

Request a History/Report: Central Registry

Spanish and Arabic DHS-1929 forms:

• Spanish: Central Registry Clearance Request - DHS-1929-SP
• Arabic: Central Registry Clearance Request - DHS-1929_AR