Important: This page is general educational guidance only. Background screening requirements vary by jurisdiction and situation. Always consult a qualified employment attorney for advice specific to your agency and compliance obligations.

If you run a homemaker companion agency in Connecticut, the law tells you how to screen caregivers before you hire them. If your agency places workers in clients’ homes to provide companionship or household help, these rules apply to you. The rules are specific, and the screening company you use must meet set standards. You can find them in Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 400o, mainly CGS 20-670 (definitions) and CGS 20-678 (background checks).

These rules were updated by Public Act 21-37 (HB 6100), effective January 1, 2022.

Here is what the law requires, what your screening company covers, and what your agency must do on its own.

Quick answer: Before making a job offer, a Connecticut homemaker-companion agency must:
  • Run a background check through a PBSA-accredited screening company: local, national, sex offender, and other-state searches when needed. See the searches
  • Complete its own in-house steps, like an interview, Social Security number verification, and a signed conviction form. See the in-house steps
  • Not hire anyone who falls under the 5-year disqualifiers in CGS 20-678. See who you cannot hire
  • Follow other DCP rules, like annual registration and caregiver photo ID badges. See other DCP rules
PBSA
Accredited: required by CT law
5
Requirements: 4 searches plus PBSA accreditation
1996
CT’s trusted screening partner

Who does HB 6100 apply to?

HB 6100 applies to homemaker-companion agencies (often called non-medical home care agencies) registered with the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). This includes agencies that employ or refer people to provide services such as meal preparation, companionship, housekeeping, and similar in-home support. If your agency is registered with DCP and you are hiring or placing workers, this law governs your background screening.

  • Homemaker-companion agencies provide nonmedical services only.
  • Home health care agencies and home health aide agencies licensed by the Department of Public Health (DPH) are not homemaker-companion agencies.

Required screening components

The law requires four searches, plus one rule about who runs them. Each one must be met. A standard background check from a general provider will usually not cover all of them.

Local Criminal History
A criminal history examination within the applicant’s immediate community, capturing records at the county or local jurisdiction level.
National Criminal Background Check
A multistate database search, covering state repositories and Department of Corrections records, run with validation. That means possible records are verified at the source before they are reported. See our national criminal search.
Sex Offender Registry Verification
A search of the U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW). The law also requires a check of the Connecticut sex offender registry (CGS 54-257). See our sex offender search.
Three-Year Address History Coverage
Required only when the applicant has lived in Connecticut for less than 3 years before applying. In that case, search each state they lived in during those 3 years.
PBSA Accreditation Required: HB 6100 mandates that the screening company you use must hold accreditation from the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA). Research Services is a PBSA-accredited provider.

Why the three-year address history requirement matters

This is the requirement that catches agencies off guard most often. Here is how it works:

  • If the applicant has lived in Connecticut for 3 years or more before applying, other-state searches are not required.
  • If the applicant has lived in Connecticut for less than 3 years, you must search each state they lived in during those 3 years.

For example, say an applicant moved to Connecticut less than 3 years ago. Before that, they lived in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts. A Connecticut search alone is not enough. You need criminal history checks in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts too.

A provider that only runs a single-state or even a basic national database search may miss convictions from states where the applicant lived before. HB 6100 closes that gap.

Why PBSA accreditation is required

The law does not just tell you what to search. It also tells you who can run the search. Only a PBSA-accredited consumer reporting agency satisfies this requirement. PBSA accreditation means the screening company has undergone an independent audit of its policies, procedures, data accuracy, and compliance practices. It is the industry’s highest standard.

Research Services is a PBSA-accredited consumer reporting agency. Many general background check providers and online instant-check services are not PBSA-accredited and cannot legally satisfy this requirement under HB 6100.

What your homemaker-companion agency must still do in-house

Your screening company runs the searches above. The law also puts these steps on your agency:

  • Review the application.
  • Hold an in-person or video interview.
  • Verify the Social Security number.
  • Verify any license the job requires.
  • Check the Connecticut sex offender registry.
  • Have each applicant sign a form asking about past convictions for violence or dishonesty, and any license discipline. A false answer is a class A misdemeanor.
  • Collect a Form I-9 after the offer is accepted.
  • Keep copies of all background check materials for DCP inspection.
  • Tell every client in writing about your background check policy, citing CGS 20-678.
  • Do all checks before making a job offer.

Who homemaker-companion agencies cannot hire (5-year lookback, CGS 20-678)

Under CGS 20-678, your agency cannot hire:

  • Anyone on the HHS OIG exclusion list (a federal list of people barred from federal health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid) for a conviction in the last 5 years.
  • Anyone convicted, or released from incarceration, in the last 5 years for:
    • Crimes tied to state health care programs
    • Patient abuse or neglect
    • Felony fraud, theft, or embezzlement tied to health care or government programs
    • Felony drug manufacturing or distribution
  • Anyone with a confirmed (substantiated) finding by a state or federal agency of neglect, abuse, physical harm, or theft over $2,000. Note: these are administrative findings, not criminal records, so a criminal search may not show them.
Good to know:
  • These are the only automatic bars in the law. Any other record is up to the agency, and the decision should be based on the job and the person, not a blanket rule.
  • If a background check result plays any part in not hiring someone, follow the FCRA adverse action process (the steps you must take before turning someone down based on a report). See our Adverse Action guide.
  • Connecticut employers cannot use erased records (including records cleared under Clean Slate) to make hiring decisions.

Other DCP rules homemaker-companion agencies should know

Background checks are only one part of the rules. Here are other key requirements. For full details, see DCP’s requirements for homemaker-companion agencies.

  • Annual DCP registration ($375). The owner completes state and FBI fingerprint checks.
  • A $10,000 surety bond or insurance that covers employee theft.
  • A written contract or service plan within 7 days of starting services.
  • A signed “nonmedical care” notice before services start.
  • Tell the client the caregiver’s full legal name before the first visit.
  • Caregivers wear photo ID badges with their name (since July 1, 2025).
  • Ads must show the registration number. Agencies using the word “care” must state they “solely provide nonmedical care.”

The Research Services advantage

In addition to PBSA accreditation, Research Services maintains a Connecticut criminal records database with records going back to the late 1980s. That is much broader than the 7- to 10-year coverage most providers offer. This matters for homemaker-companion agencies because older convictions, particularly those involving crimes against vulnerable adults or children, may be highly relevant to your placement decisions even if they fall outside a standard lookback window. Learn more about our healthcare background checks.

Agency compliance checklist

Before making a job offer, confirm:
Local criminal history search in the applicant’s current community
National criminal background check (multistate database with validation)
National sex offender search (DOJ NSOPW)
If the applicant has lived in Connecticut less than 3 years: criminal history searches in each state they lived in during those 3 years
Screening conducted through a PBSA-accredited consumer reporting agency
FCRA-compliant authorization and disclosure obtained from the applicant before screening
Adverse action process followed if a background check result influences a hiring decision
Social Security number verified
In-person or video interview completed
Signed conviction/discipline form on file
Connecticut sex offender registry checked
Applicant checked against the 5-year disqualifiers in CGS 20-678
All of the above done before the job offer

Common questions

Does Connecticut law apply if we use independent contractors rather than employees?
Yes. The law’s definition of “employee” includes independent contractors, temps, and pool employees (workers called in as needed).
Can we use an online instant background check service to meet Connecticut law?
Almost certainly not. Most instant-check services are not PBSA-accredited, do not conduct multi-state address history searches, and do not provide FCRA-compliant reports. Connecticut law requires a PBSA-accredited provider. Using a non-compliant vendor creates liability for your agency.
Do we need to re-screen existing workers?
The law covers prospective employees only. It has no re-screening rule. Re-screening current workers is a best practice, not a legal requirement.
Do caregivers need fingerprinting?
No. Connecticut law does not require fingerprinting for caregivers. Fingerprinting (state and FBI) is required for the agency owner when registering with DCP, and for new owners if ownership changes. It’s available by appointment through the CT State Police or at local police departments.
Does E-Verify count as SSN verification?
E-Verify checks the SSN against Social Security records, but federal rules don’t allow running it before a job offer. Connecticut law requires the background check before the offer. For the pre-offer step, we offer an SSN Verification that is sent to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify the number. E-Verify can be a second check after hire.
Does any criminal record mean we can’t hire someone?
No. Only the 5-year disqualifiers in CGS 20-678 are automatic bars. Other records are the agency’s decision, based on the job and the person. Follow the FCRA adverse action process if a report affects the decision.
What happens if a background check reveals a criminal record?
You must follow the FCRA adverse action process before making any decision based on the report. This means providing the applicant with a pre-adverse notice, a copy of the report, and a Summary of Rights, then giving them time to respond before sending a final adverse action letter. See our Adverse Action guide for the full process.
Reminder: This page is educational only and is not legal advice. How CGS 20-670 and CGS 20-678 (as updated by HB 6100) apply can depend on your agency’s setup. Always consult a qualified employment attorney to confirm your obligations.
Rich Dunn
Rich Dunn
Research Services
860-678-0066 rich@ctbackgroundchecks.com