(a) Authority. – The Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation may provide to any local law enforcement agency a criminal record check of any individual who applies as a volunteer for the McGruff House Program in that community and a criminal record check of all persons 18 years of age or older who live in the applying household. The North Carolina criminal record check may also be done by a certified DCI operator within the local law enforcement agency.

(b) Procedure. – A criminal record check must be conducted by using an individual’s fingerprints and all identification information required by the Department of Public Safety to identify that individual. A criminal record check shall be provided only if: (i) the individual whose record is checked consents to the record check, and (ii) every individual who is 18 years of age or older who lives in the household also consents to the record check. Refusal to give consent is considered withdrawal of the application. The information shall be kept confidential by the local law enforcement agency that receives the information. If the confidential information is disclosed under this section, the Department may refuse to provide further criminal record checks to that local law enforcement agency. (1999-214, s. 1; 2003-214, s. 1(2); 2014-100, ss. 17.1(m), (o).)