Every program with clinicals, from nursing and radiography to respiratory therapy, surgical technology, medical lab, PTA and OTA, dental hygiene, EMS and medical assisting, answers to each clinical site’s own requirement list. This page collects verified California facts for program directors and clinical coordinators, including the California Board of Registered Nursing and the California Community Colleges, with a link to each official source, and shows how Drug Free Schools helps.
California facts for program directors
- Board of Nursing. The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) approves pre-licensure RN programs and lists associate, baccalaureate and entry-level master's programs on its site. (source)
- Licensure background check. Under the Nursing Practice Act, BRN applicants and licensees submit fingerprints for state and federal criminal history checks run by the California Department of Justice. (source)
- Licensure background check. Live Scan is the BRN's preferred fingerprint method, and the Live Scan must be completed in California. (source)
- Licensure background check. Applicants outside California who cannot do Live Scan in California use an FD-258 hard card rolled by local law enforcement. (source)
- Community and technical colleges. The California Community Colleges system serves 2.2 million students at 116 colleges. (source)
- Clinical placement. The Centralized Clinical Placement System (CCPS), a nursing and allied health clinical placement and compliance tool, was developed by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. (source)
- Allied health. The California Department of Public Health's Radiologic Health Branch handles certification of medical and industrial X-ray users, among other radiation control duties. (source)
Checked 18 October 2026 against each official source. Rules change; confirm with the agency, your accreditor and your clinical sites.
What this means for your program
When a clinical site or an accreditation reviewer asks for a student’s records, you need them in one place and current, not spread across email, paper folders and spreadsheets. One record per student, with dates and documents together, answers the question in minutes. Your clinical sites and affiliation agreements still decide the exact list; the free requirements checklist covers what programs most often collect.
How Drug Free Schools helps California programs
One clinical compliance tracking portal for every program at your school ($30 per student, one time; every upload reviewed within 24 hours), plus drug screens on campus or at any Quest location, name-based background checks and on-campus N95 fit testing. See pricing.
Drug Free Schools does not take fingerprints. Our background checks are name-based. If the California Board of Registered Nursing or a clinical site requires a fingerprint check, students use the provider it names, such as Fieldprint, IdentoGO or the local police department.
Want your own demo portal? We’ll email you a login.
Set up in about 5 minutes with your program’s requirements. No meeting needed.
Support 7 days a week by phone, text or email, for students and school staff: call or text (901) 517-7450 · josh.smith@drugfreeschools.net
See the director dashboard (3:06)
Recorded in the live portal: the rotation check dashboard, document review, requirement rules, clinical sites and rotations, and secure links for sending records to a site.
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. Watch on YouTube · Get a demo login
Frequently asked questions
Who approves nursing programs in California?
The California Board of Registered Nursing. Its list of approved nursing programs is on the board’s website.
What does California require on criminal history for nursing licensure?
Under the Nursing Practice Act, BRN applicants and licensees submit fingerprints for state and federal criminal history checks run by the California Department of Justice. That licensure step is separate from the name-based background check students complete before clinicals.
What is California’s community and technical college system?
The California Community Colleges system serves 2.2 million students at 116 colleges.
Is there a clinical placement system in California?
The Centralized Clinical Placement System (CCPS), a nursing and allied health clinical placement and compliance tool, was developed by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Our portal keeps each student’s records current for whatever system or site you place through.
Do you take fingerprints?
No. Our background checks are name-based. If the California Board of Registered Nursing or a clinical site requires fingerprints, students use the provider it names, such as Fieldprint or IdentoGO, or their local police department.
Sources
- RN Programs - California Board of Registered Nursing
- California BRN - Applicant Fingerprint Information
- California Community Colleges - Home
- FoundationCCC - Streamlining the Healthcare Clinical Placement Process for Students
- CDPH - Radiologic Health Branch
This page summarizes California agency and official pages as checked on 18 October 2026, with a link to each source. Rules change; confirm with the agency, your school, your accreditor and your clinical sites. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Quest Diagnostics, Fieldprint and IdentoGO are trademarks of their respective owners.