F.S. 435.04
Level 2 screening standards
Level 2 is the fingerprint-based standard, and it is three criminal records checks rather than one: statewide through FDLE, national through the FBI, and local through local law enforcement. It also includes a search of the sexual predator and sexual offender registries of every state the person has lived in during the previous five years.
What 435.04 actually says
Every line below ends in the subsection it comes from, so you can check it against the statute rather than take our word for it.
- Three checks, not one: FDLE statewide, FBI national, and local law enforcement — 435.04(1)(a).
- Plus a search of the sexual predator and sexual offender registries of any state the person resided in during the immediately preceding 5 years — 435.04(1)(a). This is the part most people do not know is in there.
- Fingerprints must be submitted to FDLE electronically — 435.04(1)(b).
- A finding of guilt counts regardless of adjudication, and so does a plea of no contest or guilty — 435.04(2).
- Domestic violence as defined in F.S. 741.28 disqualifies, whether it happened in Florida or another state — 435.04(3).
Read from the Legislature's published text of Chapter 435 on 09/07/2026. The statute governs, not this page — open the source below for the full wording.
Why this one matters to a group home
The standard your Level 2 screening is run against — fingerprint-based, cleared before someone works with residents.
What this chapter covers
The screening rulebook every Florida care employer works from. It defines what Level 2 actually means, what disqualifies somebody, how an exemption works, and it runs the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse — including two deadlines most providers have never been told about.
Read the text
Everything above is our plain-English reading of the section, cited line by line. It is not the statute and it is not legal advice. For the exact wording, and for whether it has been amended since we read it, go to the source:
F.S. 435.04 on leg.state.fl.usOther sections in Chapter 435
- 435.01 — Applicability of this chapter; statutory references; rulemaking
- 435.02 — Definitions
- 435.03 — Level 1 screening standards
- 435.05 — Requirements for covered employees and employers
- 435.06 — Exclusion from employment
- 435.07 — Exemptions from disqualification
- 435.08 — Payment for processing of fingerprints and state criminal records checks
- 435.09 — Confidentiality of personnel background check information
- 435.10 — Sharing of personnel information among employers
- 435.11 — Penalties
- 435.12 — Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse
Section numbers and titles were read from the Legislature's own chapter index on 08/19/2026. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm anything that matters with a licensed professional. Care Wizard is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the Florida Legislature or APD.