The U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hires for a wide range of roles every year, from year round land managers and law enforcement officers to seasonal trail crews, fire lookouts, and visitor center staff. Because it is a federal civilian employer, every one of those hires generally goes through the same basic legal framework that applies across the executive branch: a suitability determination under federal regulation, built around fingerprinting and a background investigation sized to the risk of the job. This guide walks through how that process works, where seasonal and temporary employees fit in, and when Forest Service volunteers are screened too.
The legal basis: suitability under 5 CFR Part 731
Federal employment suitability is governed by 5 CFR 731.106, the regulation that requires agency heads to designate every covered position at a high, moderate, or low risk level based on the position’s potential for adverse impact on the efficiency or integrity of the federal service. This single rule is why a wildland firefighting program manager and a short term campground host are not screened the same way. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) serves as the government’s Suitability Executive Agent and maintains the Position Designation System that agencies, including the Forest Service, use to make that call, as described on OPM’s position designation tool page.
In practice, this means the Forest Service does not apply one uniform background check to every job. It applies a process, and the depth of the investigation that comes out of that process depends on the duties of the specific position: access to sensitive data, supervisory authority, contact with the public, handling of money or firearms, and similar factors.
How position risk tiers typically work
Positions are sorted first by risk level, and the scope of the background investigation generally rises with that risk level. The table below summarizes how this generally plays out for a public trust position (most Forest Service jobs are public trust positions rather than national security sensitive ones, though a small number of roles involving classified material carry an added sensitivity designation under the same regulatory framework).
| Risk level | Typical Forest Service role examples | General scope of investigation |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk | Short term seasonal laborer, some visitor services and clerical support roles | Narrower records check, generally centered on identity, employment history, and law enforcement record checks |
| Moderate risk | Many permanent technical, administrative, and resource management positions | Broader review that can add interviews with references, employers, neighbors, or schools |
| High risk | Positions with significant public trust responsibility, such as law enforcement, procurement, or IT system administration | The most extensive investigation, which may extend further back and cover more sources |
Because the exact mix of checks depends on the specific position and can change as OPM updates investigative standards, applicants should treat any risk tier description as a general guide rather than a guarantee of what will be checked in a given case.
Fingerprinting and the paperwork applicants actually complete
For nearly all new hires, the practical first step is fingerprinting paired with a records check. The Forest Service’s own onboarding guidance tells new employees to “prepare for fingerprint appointments and background check” as part of the first phase of getting hired, confirmed on the agency’s Forest Service onboarding page. Applicants are also generally asked to complete OPM’s Declaration for Federal Employment, Form OF 306, which collects information relevant to suitability, such as prior federal employment, certain criminal history questions, and selective service status where it applies. Depending on the position’s designated risk level, the agency may also use an electronic questionnaire to collect the fuller background information an investigator needs. None of this paperwork is a substitute for the underlying suitability regulation; it is simply how the government gathers what 5 CFR Part 731 requires it to review.
Seasonal and temporary hires are not automatically exempt
A common assumption is that short term or seasonal federal jobs skip background screening. That is generally not accurate. The suitability framework in 5 CFR Part 731 applies to covered positions in the competitive service regardless of whether the appointment is permanent, temporary, or seasonal, so a seasonal trail crew member or a summer interpretive ranger can still go through fingerprinting and a suitability level check tied to that specific position’s designated risk. The Forest Service’s own hiring information describes a range of entry points built around seasonal work, internships, and youth and student programs, detailed on its working with us jobs page, and those pathways still run through the same onboarding and suitability steps as other hires. What can vary by appointment type is the pace and sometimes the depth of the investigation, not whether a check happens at all, and applicants should expect agency guidance for their specific announcement to control the details.
Volunteers are screened too, under specific conditions
The Forest Service also relies heavily on volunteers for trail work, campground hosting, and visitor services, and a portion of that population is background checked as well. According to the agency’s own guidance for prospective volunteers, a person may be required to complete a background check or provide fingerprints where their volunteer role gives them access to Forest Service facilities and information systems for six months or more, a standard tied to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12. In that circumstance, the agency describes using a National Agencies Check with Inquiries, which it explains includes a review of schools, past employers, FBI and other government databases, and law enforcement databases, as laid out on the Forest Service volunteer guidance page. Shorter term or lower access volunteer roles, such as a single event trail day, do not automatically carry the same requirement, so the access level and duration of the specific volunteer assignment is what determines whether a check applies.
How a record is weighed, and why investigations are not always repeated
A background check is only the fact gathering half of the process. The decision half is a suitability determination, and the regulation sets out how that decision generally gets made. Under 5 CFR 731.202, an agency generally has to tie any unfavorable suitability action to the efficiency or integrity of the service, considering factors such as the nature and seriousness of the conduct, how long ago it happened, the person’s age at the time, whether participation was voluntary, and whether there is evidence of rehabilitation. This is why a general background check does not work like a simple pass or fail filter. Two applicants with similar records can reach different outcomes depending on the specific position and the surrounding circumstances, and state and federal rules on how old records may be considered can vary, so applicants with a specific concern should raise it with the hiring agency rather than assume how it will be treated.
The regulation also addresses reciprocity. 5 CFR 731.104 sets investigation and reciprocity requirements so that a federal employee who already holds a current, appropriate investigation from a prior position may not need to go through the full process again for a new one, as long as the existing investigation meets the new position’s requirements. In practice, this can shorten onboarding for someone moving between federal agencies or back into the Forest Service from another federal job, though the agency still makes the final suitability call for the position being filled.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Forest Service job require the same background check?
No. The scope generally follows the position’s designated risk level under 5 CFR Part 731, so a law enforcement or IT role is typically reviewed more extensively than an entry level seasonal position.
Will fingerprinting always be required?
Fingerprinting is a standard part of the Forest Service’s own onboarding process for new hires, and it may also apply to certain longer term volunteers, but applicants should rely on the instructions for their specific job or volunteer announcement.
What is Form OF 306 used for?
OF 306 is OPM’s Declaration for Federal Employment, a form that collects information relevant to a suitability determination, such as prior federal service and certain criminal history questions.
Are seasonal and temporary Forest Service employees background checked?
Generally yes. Federal suitability rules are not limited to permanent appointments, so seasonal and temporary positions are typically assigned a risk designation and go through fingerprinting and a corresponding check.
Do Forest Service volunteers get background checked?
Some do. The agency’s own guidance ties a background check or fingerprint requirement to volunteers who will have facility or information system access for six months or more, rather than applying it to every volunteer role.
Can a past conviction automatically disqualify someone from a Forest Service job?
Suitability determinations generally weigh the nature of the conduct, how long ago it occurred, and its relevance to the position rather than applying an automatic bar in every case, and state and federal rules on this can vary, so applicants with questions about a specific record should check with the hiring agency.
Related reading
For a broader look at the forms federal agencies use to start an investigation, see our guide to federal job background checks and the SF 85 and SF 86. Readers researching a related land management role may also want our guide to park ranger background check requirements.
Employers building their own screening programs, including those that work with federal contractors or federal adjacent roles, can learn more at Reveal Background.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Federal suitability rules, position designations, and agency practices can change, and readers with a specific hiring question should confirm current requirements with the hiring agency or qualified counsel.
