If you're considering hiring a private caregiver — or want to understand the screening a Florida nurse registry does on your behalf — knowing how to read a background check report is a useful skill. The reports look complicated. They aren't, once you know what to look for.

The standard Florida Level 2 report layout

An AHCA Level 2 screening report has six sections. We'll walk through what each one means.

Section 1 — Applicant identification

Full legal name (and any aliases or maiden names)
Date of birth
Social Security number (last 4 visible; full SSN on the provider copy only)
Address history (typically last 5–10 years)
Fingerprint capture date and location

What to verify: The name and DOB match the caregiver in front of you. The address history is plausible — long gaps or out-of-state moves should be discussed (not necessarily disqualifying).

Section 2 — Florida criminal record (FDLE)

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's state criminal database. Returns:

Arrests (regardless of conviction)
Convictions
Sealed or expunged records (these may or may not appear depending on the order type)

What to look for:

Disposition of each entry — was the arrest later dismissed, the charge dropped, the case adjudicated nolo? Many "arrest" entries are not convictions.
Severity and date — a 30-year-old DUI conviction is different from a recent felony.
Pattern — multiple entries with similar themes are more concerning than a single isolated incident.

Section 3 — National criminal record (FBI)

The FBI's Interstate Identification Index (III) database. Cross-checks records from every state.

What to look for:

Out-of-state records that don't appear in the Florida database
Federal offenses (drug trafficking, mail fraud, etc.)
Military-related offenses if the applicant served

Section 4 — Sex offender registry

Both Florida and national sex offender registries. A hit here is almost always disqualifying for caregiver work, with very narrow exceptions reviewed individually by AHCA.

Section 5 — DCF abuse/neglect registry

The Florida Department of Children and Families maintains a separate registry of confirmed abuse and neglect findings — child abuse, elder abuse, exploitation. Reports here are administrative findings, not criminal convictions, but they're treated seriously.

Section 6 — Office of Inspector General excluded provider list

The federal OIG maintains a list of individuals excluded from federal healthcare programs (Medicare, Medicaid) due to fraud, abuse, or related offenses. A caregiver who appears here cannot legally work for any Medicare-billed program.

For a Florida nurse registry's private-pay clients, OIG exclusion is not an automatic disqualifier — but it's a serious flag worth investigating.

The bottom-line summary

At the top or bottom of every Level 2 report, you'll find one of:

ELIGIBLE — no disqualifying offenses, cleared for caregiver placement
INELIGIBLE — disqualifying offense; cannot be placed unless granted an AHCA exemption
PENDING — screening still being processed
EXEMPTED — was ineligible but has received an exemption from AHCA after waiting period and review

EXEMPTED is a status that requires conversation. Florida law allows AHCA to grant exemptions for certain offenses after a waiting period (typically 3–5 years for some offenses), if the applicant can demonstrate rehabilitation. An exempted caregiver is legally eligible for placement; whether they're the right fit for your specific case is your decision.

What's NOT in the report

Important to understand the limits.

Out-of-country offenses — Level 2 only covers U.S. records. A caregiver who immigrated recently has only a U.S. record.
Civil judgments — bankruptcies, evictions, civil restraining orders
Driving record — separate FLHSMV check needed if the caregiver will drive your loved one
Credit history — separate consumer report (not standard for caregiver screening)
Professional license history — separate Board of Nursing or Board of Health checks
Reference quality — the registry should be calling references; the report doesn't reflect this
Mental health history — not searchable in any standard background check
Substance abuse history outside the criminal record — not visible if no arrest

What to ask the registry

When you receive a caregiver referral from any Florida registry, you have the right to ask:

"Is this caregiver Eligible in the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse?" Answer should be yes.
"When was their last screening?" Within the past 5 years.
"Are they enrolled in Rap Back continuous monitoring?" Yes for any current AHCA-licensed registry's referrals.
"Were there any items flagged in the screening — even if not disqualifying?" A reputable registry will tell you.
"Have you done your own additional vetting beyond Level 2?" Reference calls, interview, credential verification, driving record if applicable.

A registry that bristles at any of these questions is telling you something useful. A registry that answers confidently with specifics is the kind to work with.

How to verify it yourself

Florida allows the public to verify a caregiver's Clearinghouse status:

Go to the AHCA Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Public Page.
Enter the caregiver's full name and DOB.
The system returns one of: Eligible, Ineligible, Pending, No Record, Exempted.

You can also verify Florida-specific licenses (RN, LPN, CNA, HHA) at the Florida Department of Health licensure portal at mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us.

Common red flags in our experience

A few patterns we've learned to investigate carefully:

A long employment gap with no explanation — could be many innocent reasons; deserves a conversation
Multiple short caregiving stints in succession — pattern of being asked to leave or quitting frequently
References that don't return phone calls — almost always a sign
A caregiver who can't articulate why they left their last position — vague answers correlate with concerning patterns
An applicant who's vague about their CNA/HHA certification source — false credentialing happens
Recent move to Florida with thin Florida history — not disqualifying, but means Florida databases have less to show

None of these are automatic disqualifications. They're prompts for more conversation.

The TrustWise vetting beyond Level 2

For every caregiver we refer, our file includes:

Level 2 screening + Rap Back enrollment
Florida CNA or HHA credential verification at the Department of Health portal
Two professional reference calls (we actually call them)
In-person interview by our office team
Driving record if applicable
TB clearance (within 12 months)
CPR certification verification
I-9 documentation
W-9 on file
Specialty training where claimed (dementia, Parkinson's, etc.)

Every file is personally reviewed by our RN Administrator before any client referral.

Bottom line

A Level 2 background check is the floor, not the ceiling, of caregiver vetting. Know how to read it, know what it doesn't cover, and know what additional vetting the registry has done. The 5 minutes it takes to verify a caregiver's status before they enter your loved one's home is the most important 5 minutes of the whole engagement.

Reviewed by the TrustWise Care clinical team.

How to Read a Florida Caregiver Background Check Report — What to Look For