Records Checks

Mentoring programs registered with Kansas Mentors can now receive state and federal records checks free of charge. Below is procedure for how to access these records checks.

Mentors applicants are required to go to their nearest participating Sheriff’s Office* to have their fingerprints taken to volunteer with a qualified mentoring organization**. Some sheriffs’ offices may require an additional charge for fingerprinting.
Mentors applicants’ responsibilities:
- Read the volunteer notice and complete the volunteer application.
  - Volunteer notice (.doc)
  - Volunteer application (.doc)
- Applicants should call their nearest sheriff’s office to schedule an appointment for taking the fingerprints. Applicants also should inquire about any charges that may apply to process the fingerprints.
- Provide appropriate identification pursuant to the PROTECT Act to be photocopied by the Sheriff’s Office. (i.e., a driver’s license, state-issued identification card, etc.)
- Stamped 9-by-12-inch envelope. (Postage currently 63 cents.)
- Address the envelope to:
  Lt. Art Wilburn
  Kansas Highway Patrol
  General Headquarters
  122 SW 7th Street
  Topeka, KS 66603
- Use Kansas Mentors for the return address:
  Kansas Mentors
  1000 SW Jackson, Ste 540
  Topeka, KS 66612
Please limit one applicant’s information per envelope.
Law enforcement agencies’ responsibilities:
- Obtain and photocopy identification from the applicant.
- Fill out the fingerprint card, and take fingerprints from the Mentors applicant. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) will provide fingerprint cards from the FBI.
- Place the photocopied identification, fingerprint card, and volunteer application.
- Seal the envelope, and place it in the office’s outgoing mail.
Sheriffs’ offices will send the photocopied identification, fingerprint card, and volunteer application. The KHP will submit the fingerprints to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the KBI and KHP will conduct criminal history checks. The KBI will forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a criminal history check. The FBI will forward the results of its criminal history check to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and NCMEC will make a fitness determination on the applicant and notify the KHP.
Upon receipt of the criminal history checks and the NCMEC determination, the KHP will e-mail the qualified mentoring organization with an applicant’s fitness determination. The organization is responsible for notifying the applicant of the determination. The applicant may contact Lt. Art Wilburn at the Kansas Highway Patrol to learn how to appeal a result that disqualified him/her from volunteering.

* List of participating sheriffs’ offices. For a complete list of qualified organizations, please see CountyOffices.doc.

** Qualified mentoring organizations include those that have registered with the Kansas Mentors Program. Registered mentoring programs are those listed as partners on Kansas Mentors web site. To register your program please see http://www.ksmentors.ks.gov/register.htm