DSS Form 3072 is South Carolina’s request for a Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check, and you submit it either through the SC DSS provider portal at providerportal.dss.sc.gov or by mail to the department’s cashier in Columbia, with a fee of $8 or $25 depending on who is asking.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check
Who Uses This Form
South Carolina law requires a central registry check for anyone seeking employment at or providing caregiver services to a licensed, registered, or approved childcare facility. Section 63-13-40 of the South Carolina Code lists the registry check alongside state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background checks as prerequisites for working in childcare, and the same requirement applies to operators applying for a childcare license and to any adult 18 or older living in a group family childcare home.2South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 63 Chapter 13 – Section 63-13-40
The form’s purpose categories reach further. Foster and adoptive parent applicants use it, as do all adults over 18 living in a prospective foster or adoptive home. Employees and volunteers at residential facilities like group homes, emergency shelters, and wilderness camps use it. So do adult care facility staff, school employees, volunteers at the SC Department of Children’s Advocacy, and individuals who simply want to check their own record.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check
Filling Out the Form
SC DSS will not process a form that is incomplete, illegible, or altered. Do not cross out any pre-printed text or modify the fields. If you get stuck, the department’s central registry unit answers questions at (803) 898-7318, extension 4.3South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072
Personal Information
Spell out your full first, middle, and last name. Initials are not accepted. List every other name you’ve used, including maiden names, former married names, aliases, and nicknames, in the Maiden/Former Name/Aliases field.4South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check Enter your date of birth as month/day/year, your gender, your race, and your state of birth.
Your Social Security number must be complete. No X’s, no partial numbers. DSS uses it only to run the registry and database search and will not share it with anyone other than the agency or entity you name on the form.4South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check
Address History
Give your current residential address. If you’ve lived there fewer than seven years, list every other address, state, or country where you’ve resided during the past seven years, using a separate sheet if you need more room.3South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 DSS uses the history to cross-reference regional databases, so an incomplete list can delay or invalidate the check.
Choosing Section A or Section B
The form offers two search options, and the purpose categories under each one tell you which to pick.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check
- Section A searches both the Central Registry of Child Abuse and Neglect and the department’s broader database of child abuse and neglect records. Its purpose list covers foster or adoptive parent applicants, adults in a prospective foster or adoptive home, residential facility staff, CASA or Children’s Advocacy volunteers, and general employment, volunteering, or other specified purposes.
- Section B searches only the Central Registry. Its purpose list covers adult care facility employees or volunteers, general employment, volunteering, and other specified purposes.
Pick the single category that matches your situation. If none of the listed purposes fits, check “Other” and write a brief description.
Results Delivery and Signature
In the “Mail Results To” section, type or stamp the name, phone number, and email of the person or organization that should receive the results. DSS no longer returns results on Form 3072 itself; a separate results letter is issued to protect personally identifiable information.5South Carolina Department of Social Services. Child Abuse/Neglect Registry Checks
Your signature must be witnessed or notarized before you submit the form, and the witness or notary must be at least 18 years old. A mailed form without a valid witness signature or notarization will not be processed.6South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check – Section: V. Signature and Mailing Instructions
What It Costs
The fee depends on who is requesting the check, and you must mark the correct fee box on the form.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check
- $8 for non-profit entities, state agencies, schools, foster care and adoption applicants, name changes, adult care facilities, and individual (personal) requests.
- $25 for for-profit entities and private adoption investigations.
For mail-in submissions, payment must be by check or money order made payable to the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The form specifies “check or money order only,” so a business or cashier’s check is the safest option if you’re unsure what will be accepted.7South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check – Section: II. Central Registry Fee
Submitting the Form
Online
SC DSS runs an Online Central Registry and Database System at providerportal.dss.sc.gov. You can complete the request electronically, pay the fee online, and receive results by email or in your portal account. The online route avoids the delays and data-entry errors that come with paper processing and is significantly faster if an employer or agency handles registry checks in bulk.5South Carolina Department of Social Services. Child Abuse/Neglect Registry Checks
By Mail
If you mail the form, send three things together: the completed and witnessed or notarized Form 3072, your payment, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Send them to:6South Carolina Department of Social Services. DSS Form 3072 – Request for Central Registry and/or Child Abuse Record Check – Section: V. Signature and Mailing Instructions
South Carolina Department of Social Services
Attention: Cashier
1535 Confederate Avenue
P.O. Box 1520
Columbia, SC 29202-1520
Missing any of the three components will hold up your request. Before sealing the envelope, confirm the payment amount matches the fee category you selected and that the signature block carries a valid witness or notary signature.
Processing Time and Results
SC DSS does not publish a guaranteed turnaround time. The online portal returns results considerably faster than mail, which adds delivery time in both directions on top of the agency’s internal review. Allow at least a few weeks for a mailed request, and build in extra time during peak hiring seasons when volume is higher.
Results arrive as a separate letter rather than on the form itself. The letter states whether the individual is clear of any founded reports or whether a match was found in the registry. A clear result means DSS found no substantiated reports of child abuse or neglect associated with your name and identifying information.5South Carolina Department of Social Services. Child Abuse/Neglect Registry Checks
If a Match Comes Back
A match means DSS found a substantiated (indicated) report linking you to child abuse or neglect. When DSS indicates a report and enters your name in the registry without taking the case to family court, the department must notify you by certified mail, and you have 30 days from receiving that notice to send DSS a written statement of your intent to appeal. Miss the 30-day window and the decision becomes final.8Child Welfare Information Gateway. Review and Expunction of Central Registries and Reporting Records The appeal moves through an interim DSS review, a contested case hearing before a hearing officer, and, if the State Director affirms, a petition to the family court filed within 30 days of the final administrative decision. If the family court has already determined you were responsible for the abuse or neglect at issue, the administrative appeal route is closed.
If You’ve Lived in Other States
Clearing the South Carolina registry alone may not be enough. Section 63-13-40 requires a child abuse and neglect registry check in every state where you’ve lived during the previous five years.2South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 63 Chapter 13 – Section 63-13-40 Each state runs its own registry with its own form, fees, and processing times. Virginia, for example, charges $12 per search and accepts only money orders, business checks, or cashier’s checks, with no personal checks or cash.9Virginia Department of Social Services. Central Registry Release of Information Form Some states offer online portals; others are mail-only. Start early if clearance from multiple states is in your path, because each state processes independently and the slowest one sets your timeline.