Athletic trainers work close to the people they treat, often alone with student athletes before and after practice, and frequently inside school buildings, locker rooms and athletic facilities. Because of that access, an athletic trainer can face several layers of background screening before ever stepping onto a field: a state licensing board check, a school or university employment clearance, and in some cases a separate screening tied to youth sports safety rules. Employers who want to understand what is actually required, rather than what sounds reasonable, need to look at each layer separately, because the rules come from different authorities and do not always overlap.
Athletic trainers are licensed in nearly every state
Almost every state requires a license or certification to practice athletic training, and most state boards ask licensing applicants about criminal history and may require fingerprinting as part of the application. The specifics vary a great deal by state, so an employer or applicant should always check the current rule with the board that will issue the license rather than assuming a neighboring state’s process applies.
Nevada’s athletic trainer board, for example, requires out of state licensees who want a Nevada license to complete the state’s application process, including a fingerprint based criminal background check, even when the applicant already holds an active license elsewhere, as described on the Nevada State Board of Athletic Trainers application and forms page. Florida took a different path recently. The Florida Board of Athletic Training is phasing in new background screening and renewal requirements for licensed athletic trainers under a 2024 state law, House Bill 975, with details published on the Florida Board of Athletic Training’s background screening and renewal requirements notice. Florida’s screening for health practitioners generally runs through a fingerprint based clearinghouse process, explained on the Florida Department of Health background screening portal.
Not every state runs athletic trainer licensing the same way, and some boards fold the background check into a broader health professions licensing statute rather than a standalone athletic training rule. Where a particular state’s board does not publish a fingerprint or criminal history requirement, an employer should not assume one exists. The accurate answer is to check that state’s licensing board directly rather than extrapolate from Nevada’s or Florida’s approach.
| Screening layer | Who requires it | What it typically covers |
|---|---|---|
| State license application | State athletic training board | Criminal history questions, and in a growing number of states, fingerprint based criminal background checks tied to licensure or renewal |
| School or college employment | Education agency or district, via the employer | Fingerprint clearance through the state education or public safety agency, plus a child abuse or maltreatment registry check |
| Youth and amateur sports organizations | National governing bodies and local clubs, under federal policy requirements | Screening of adults who have regular contact with minor athletes, plus limits on one on one contact |
| Hospital or clinical practice setting | Hospital credentialing office or clinic employer | National Practitioner Data Bank queries and a check of the federal exclusion list for health care program participation |
School and college employers add their own clearances
Athletic trainers who work for a K-12 school district or a college athletic department are usually hired as school employees, not just licensed professionals, which means they generally go through the same employment screening as teachers and coaches. That commonly includes a fingerprint based criminal history check run through the state’s education agency or state police, and a check against the state’s child abuse or maltreatment central registry. These clearances exist separately from the athletic training license and generally have to be renewed or kept current while the person remains employed. Reveal Background’s overview of how districts screen adults who work with students, in our piece on teacher background check requirements, walks through how K-12 fingerprint and registry clearances typically work, and the same general pattern applies to school based athletic trainers.
Federal youth sports safety law adds a screening expectation
Athletic trainers who work with amateur athletes through a national governing body, such as a sport’s national federation, or through a facility under that governing body’s jurisdiction, fall under a separate federal framework. The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act, now codified starting at 36 U.S.C. 220541, created the U.S. Center for SafeSport and gave it authority over national governing bodies on matters of abuse prevention. A related provision, 36 U.S.C. 220542, requires those governing bodies to adopt policies that limit one on one contact between an adult and a minor athlete without another adult present, require prompt reporting of suspected child abuse to law enforcement and to the Center, and protect people who make good faith reports from retaliation. In practice, national governing bodies and many local clubs implement these federal policy requirements through background screening of adults who have regular contact with minor athletes, alongside the one on one contact limits the statute itself describes. An athletic trainer working inside that system may be screened by the governing body or club in addition to holding a state license. Reveal Background’s separate article on youth sports coach background checks covers how leagues and clubs generally structure that screening.
Clinical and hospital settings bring in federal health care checks
Athletic trainers increasingly work inside hospitals, physician practices and outpatient clinics, often under physician supervision. In those settings, the employer usually runs two federal checks that are separate from state licensing. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General maintains a List of Excluded Individuals and Entities, and health care employers that receive federal program funds generally need to confirm a new hire is not on that list before they can be paid for services involving federal health programs. Hospitals and some clinics also query the National Practitioner Data Bank as part of credentialing, which can surface prior adverse licensure or clinical privilege actions reported about a practitioner. These checks sit alongside, not instead of, the state license verification and any background check the employer separately orders.
Employer duties when a background check company is used
When an athletic training employer, whether a school, a clinic, a hospital or a sports organization, orders a background check report from a consumer reporting agency rather than relying only on the state license verification, the employer takes on duties under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. That generally means providing the applicant a standalone disclosure, getting written authorization before ordering the report, and if the employer is considering not hiring or not continuing employment partly because of the report, sending a pre adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights, followed by an adverse action notice if the final decision stands. The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on using consumer reports for employment purposes lays out these steps. A background check does not automatically reveal every record in every state. What shows up depends on the sources searched, state reporting rules, and in some cases a seven year lookback that varies by state law, so employers should not assume a clean report means no history exists anywhere, and should not treat any record as something that can be hidden from a properly run check.
Frequently asked questions
Do all states require a background check to get an athletic trainer license?
Most state boards ask about criminal history on the license application, and a number of states, including Nevada and Florida, require a fingerprint based criminal background check as part of licensing or renewal. The exact requirement varies by state, so the applicant’s own state board is the source to check.
Is a school’s background check for an athletic trainer the same as the state license check?
Generally no. The license check is run by the state athletic training board. A school or district typically runs its own fingerprint clearance and child abuse registry check as a condition of employment, separate from the license itself.
Does the SafeSport Act require every athletic trainer to be screened?
The federal law applies to national governing bodies and facilities under their jurisdiction, and it requires those bodies to adopt policies addressing abuse prevention, reporting and contact limits for adults around minor athletes. Whether a specific athletic trainer is covered depends on whether the setting falls under a governing body’s jurisdiction.
What is the National Practitioner Data Bank check used for?
Hospitals and some clinical employers query the National Practitioner Data Bank during credentialing to check for reported adverse licensure, clinical privilege or other professional actions. It is a federal data source, not a general criminal background check.
Can a background check hide an old conviction?
No. A properly run background check is not something a candidate can defeat by waiting out the clock in every jurisdiction, and employers should not assume any record is permanently hidden. What appears depends on the sources searched and state reporting rules, which is why results can vary between reports.
Who handles the Fair Credit Reporting Act steps when a school or clinic orders a report?
The hiring employer, as the user of the consumer report, is responsible for the disclosure, authorization, and any pre adverse and adverse action notices. The background check company provides the report, but the notice obligations belong to the employer.
Reveal Background helps employers in schools, clinics, hospitals and sports organizations build a screening process that fits the role, from license verification through FCRA compliant reporting. Learn more at Reveal Background.
This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. Screening requirements vary by state and by employer type, and employers should confirm current rules with the relevant licensing board, education agency or counsel.
