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Indiana Caregiver Background Check Requirements

Important Information for Prospective Caregivers

 

At Careworthy, we believe in transparency, client safety, and helping prospective caregivers understand the requirements for working in Indiana's personal services industry.

 

The information on this page summarizes Indiana state requirements. It is provided for educational purposes to help applicants understand the legal restrictions that may affect eligibility for employment in direct care. It is not a publication of our company's internal hiring guidelines or screening procedures.

 

Indiana law prohibits licensed personal services agencies from employing individuals to provide services in a client's temporary or permanent residence when certain criminal convictions or other disqualifying findings are present. Some offenses result in a lifetime prohibition, while others carry a five-year or ten-year exclusion period. The applicable time period generally depends on the offense, the classification of the conviction, and the date of the employment application.

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1. Lifetime Disqualifications

Under applicable Indiana law, certain convictions and findings may permanently disqualify an individual from providing direct care services. These include specified offenses involving:

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  • Sex crimes

  • Murder

  • Voluntary manslaughter

  • Exploitation of an endangered adult

  • Failure to report battery, neglect, or exploitation of an endangered adult

  • Child exploitation and other specified sexual offenses involving children

  • Certain offenses involving burglary, escape, criminal stalking, and regulated explosives

  • Certain firearm-related offenses

  • Qualifying findings of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of a patient's property recorded on a state nurse aide registry

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The precise offenses and circumstances covered by the law are determined by the applicable Indiana statutes.

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2. Ten-Year Disqualification Periods

Certain convictions may prohibit an individual from providing direct care for ten years before the employment application date. These include qualifying felony convictions involving:

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  • Theft, conversion, or receiving stolen property

  • Identity deception

  • Fraud

  • Certain crimes of violence

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The specific statutory definitions and any applicable exceptions determine whether a conviction falls within a disqualifying category.

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3. Five-Year Disqualification Periods

Certain convictions may prohibit an individual from providing direct care for five years before the employment application date. These include qualifying misdemeanor convictions involving:

  • Theft, conversion, or receiving stolen property

  • Identity deception

  • Fraud

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Indiana law also identifies felony battery and certain felony controlled-substance offenses within the previous five years as disqualifying offenses.

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4. Crimes of Violence

Indiana law identifies specific offenses that qualify as crimes of violence for purposes of caregiver eligibility. Depending on the offense and applicable statutory provisions, these may include:

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  • Attempted murder, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide

  • Certain felony battery and domestic battery offenses

  • Aggravated battery and qualifying strangulation offenses

  • Kidnapping, rape, and specified child sexual offenses

  • Certain robbery and arson offenses

  • Qualifying felony burglary, escape, and criminal stalking offenses

  • Certain offenses involving regulated explosives or firearms

  • Specified impaired-driving offenses causing serious injury or death

  • Felony resisting law enforcement

  • Other offenses expressly included in the applicable statute

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Some crimes of violence carry a lifetime prohibition, while others may be subject to a ten-year exclusion period. The statutory classification and circumstances of the conviction matter.

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5. Understanding Theft-Related Offenses

Indiana's criminal statutes define the offenses covered by the applicable disqualification rules. Depending on the specific law and conviction, theft-related offenses may include theft, criminal conversion, receiving stolen property, and certain related offenses.

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Other offenses involving fraud, identity deception, or financial misconduct may be covered by separate statutory provisions. Eligibility is determined by the applicable law, not simply by the everyday name used to describe an offense.

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6. Official Information and Legal References

The requirements summarized on this page are based on Indiana's criminal history provisions for home health and personal services agencies, including Indiana Code IC 16-27-2-3, IC 16-27-2-4, and IC 16-27-2-5, as applicable.

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For the official statutory language, please consult the Indiana Code and the Indiana Department of Health's published criminal history guidance.

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7. Expunged Crimes

These background check policies apply to valid, active crimes listed on your criminal history report but do not include crimes that have been successfully expunged.

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Disclaimer: This page is intended as a general educational resource. It is not legal advice, it does not replace the applicable statutes or official state guidance, and is not an exhaustive list of every potentially disqualifying offense. Laws and agency guidance may change. A person's eligibility depends on the specific conviction or finding and the law applicable at the time of review. 

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