Virginia Rap Back Service

Real-Time Criminal Background Monitoring for Eligible Virginia Agencies

The Virginia Rap Back Service provides continuous monitoring of enrolled individuals employed in positions of trust, delivering timely alerts when a triggering criminal event occurs so your agency can act promptly to protect commonwealth’s vulnerable population.

Protecting Virginia’s Most Vulnerable—One Notification at a Time

What is the Virginia Rap Back Service?

The Virginia Rap Back Service is a federally authorized, state-administered program that enables continuous criminal history monitoring for individuals in positions of trust. Operated by the Virginia State Police (VSP) in partnership with the FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI) system, Rap Back transforms how agencies maintain safe environments.

How It Works:

  1. Initial Enrollment: Eligible agencies who wish to enroll in the Rap Back service submit fingerprint-based background checks for chosen staff, volunteers, or licensees.
  2. Continuous Monitoring: Once enrolled, the FBI’s national database monitors each individual for new arrests, court dispositions, wanted alerts and other qualifying criminal events.
  3. Timely Alerts: When a triggering event occurs, VSP immediately notifies the subscribing agency electronically.
  4. Timely Action: Agencies review notifications, confirm or decline authority to view detailed criminal history, and take appropriate personnel action.
  5. Subscription Management: Agencies cancel a subscription when the enrolled individual leaves their position and renew subscriptions on their anniversary date if continued enrollment is required.

Key Difference from Traditional Background Checks:
Traditional background checks are snapshots in time. Rap Back is a living, continuous safety net, ensuring your agency is always informed, never surprised.

Why Choose Rap Back?

Continuous Protection, Not Just a One-Time Check
Rap Back doesn’t stop after the initial background screening. It actively monitors enrolled individuals 24/7/365, sending real-time alerts for any new criminal justice activity reported to the FBI.

Proactive Safety for Vulnerable Populations
Designed to protect children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and others who depend on trustworthy caregivers and staff. Rap Back ensures no critical information slips through the cracks.

Reduces Administrative Burden
Say goodbye to costly, time-consuming periodic re-fingerprinting or relying on employees to self-report changes to their criminal history. Rap Back automates ongoing monitoring so your HR and compliance teams can focus on their core mission.

Statewide Trusted Standard
Powered by the Virginia State Police and aligned with FBI CJIS guidelines, Rap Back is secure, auditable, and built to the highest standards of law enforcement technology and privacy.

Fast, Actionable Intelligence
Notifications are delivered within hours of an event being reported to the FBI, giving your agency the speed and clarity needed to make informed decisions quickly.

Compliance-Ready Audit Trails
Every action such as enrollment, notification acknowledgment, cancellation is logged and accessible for compliance reviews, ensuring your agency meets regulatory and contractual obligations.

Who is Eligible?

The Virginia Rap Back Service is available to:

  • Public schools and school divisions (K-12)
  • State and local government entities with fingerprint-based background check requirements
  • Agencies providing services to minors, seniors, or individuals with disabilities
  • Licensed childcare and early learning centers
  • Healthcare facilities serving vulnerable populations
  • Volunteer organizations serving at-risk populations (*subject to VSP & FBI approval)

Individuals who may be enrolled in Rap Back include:

  • Employees, contractors, and volunteers in positions of trust or care
  • Individuals authorized under Virginia Code §52-46
  • Licensees subject to ongoing suitability determinations

Requirements for Participation

To participate, agencies must:

  • Be authorized to receive National Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) under state and federal law
  • Complete agency onboarding forms and the Rap Back Addendum
  • Provide the FBI Privacy Act Statement to all enrolled individuals
  • Complete Rap Back Service and FBI Cyber Security Awareness training
  • Ensure personnel who access notifications have undergone fingerprint-based background checks
  • Maintain compliance with CJIS Security Policy
  • Use authorized fingerprint submission methods (Livescan or Fieldprint)

Agency Responsibilities & Expectations

Process and Monitor Notifications: Agencies must review all Rap Back activity notifications and confirm their continued authority to receive criminal history updates for each enrolled individual.

Respond Promptly: Agencies are expected to respond to the Virginia State Police (VSP) within three (3) business days of receiving a notification, confirming whether the individual is still in a position of trust.

Maintain Records: Agencies must keep all required documentation, including signed Privacy Act Statements and notification logs, for audit purposes.

Cooperate with Audits: Agencies must participate in any VSP or FBI audits and demonstrate compliance with all program requirements.

Protect Confidentiality: Agencies must ensure all Rap Back information is used solely for authorized purposes and is not further disseminated.

Bulk Enrollment: Agencies enrolling large numbers of individuals should plan for the total cost and consider staggering submissions to manage administrative workload and budget impact.

Payment: Invoices are generated automatically upon subscription activation and renewal. Payment instructions are provided by VSP.

How to Enroll

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Review the eligibility criteria above and ensure your agency and individuals meet all requirements. Contact VSP if you have questions about your agency’s eligibility to participate in the program.

Step 2: Submit Onboarding Forms & Rap Back Addendum

Complete and submit:

  • Agency onboarding forms (for agencies that don’t already have an account with VSP)
  • Rap Back Service Addendum
  • Supporting documentation (determined by VSP on a case-to-case basis)
Step 3: Complete Required Training

All designated agency personnel must complete:

  • Rap Back Service Training (includes policy, procedures, and subscription management)
  • FBI Cyber Security Awareness Training (if not completed within the past two years)
Step 4: Establish Secure and Auditable Procedures

Set up documented procedures (subject to VSP’s review and approval) for:

  • Notifying individuals of Rap Back enrollment that their fingerprints will be retained by the FBI for future searches including latent fingerprint searches
  • Obtaining signed Privacy Act Statements from enrolled individuals
  • Managing Rap Back activity notifications
  • Ensure timely subscription cancellations, renewals, and reinstatements (when needed)
  • Secure handling and storage of Criminal History Record Information (CHRI)
  • Compliance with CJIS Security Policy, including outsourcing standards if applicable
Step 5: Update Fingerprinting Process

Work with VSP to ensure your Livescan devices or Fieldprint accounts are configured for Rap Back submissions.

  • Fieldprint Account Setup
  • Livescan Software Updates
Step 6: Submit Fingerprints for Eligible Individuals

Begin submitting fingerprint-based background checks with Rap Back enrollment indicators for all eligible individuals.

Step 7: Receive Confirmation & Start Monitoring

VSP will confirm successful enrollments via a secure email notification. Your agency will begin receiving timely notifications through secure email as they occur.

Subscription Fees

  • Initial Enrollment Fee: $12 per individual (one-time, at time of enrollment)
  • Annual Subscription Fee: $12 per individual (billed on the anniversary of enrollment)
  • Standard fingerprint-based background check fees apply in addition to the Rap Back fee: $27.00 for non-volunteers and $20.00 for volunteers
  • Enrollments for criminal justice purposes are exempt from the subscription fee

How Notifications Work

Near Real-Time Alerts
When an enrolled individual has a qualifying event (arrest, court disposition, etc.), the FBI NGI system triggers an alert to VSP, which is immediately forwarded to your agency.

Notification Delivery
Notifications are delivered via a secured email to designated agency contacts. For each notification, authorized users can:

  • Confirm Authority: Affirm your agency’s continued authorization to receive detailed criminal history record information (IdHS sent via secure email)
  • Decline Authority: Indicate your agency no longer has authority to view the individual’s criminal history record information which then triggers subscription cancellation (triggers subscription cancellation, no IdHS provided)

Knowledge Base & Resources

Downloadable Materials

Legal & Policy

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions and specific answers about the Virginia Rap Back Service >>>

Contact Virginia Rap Back Services

  • Our email is periodically monitored Monday through Friday, during regular business hours.
  • Please clearly state your question or request. If you don’t state a question or make a request, we may not have enough information to reply. We attempt to respond to all email in a timely manner.
  • Please give your name, email, and a daytime telephone number – just in case of email failures. In some instances, we can answer your question more easily by calling you.
  • Do not use this email to send social security, driver’s license numbers, or other sensitive materials.

Email: RapBack.Support@vsp.virginia.gov