Children's Services Early Care & Education Programs

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) welcomes you to Guardian, a new online portal for the submission and tracking of criminal background checks.

1. Access the Guardian Applicant Portal

• Please visit Guardian Background Check System

2. Create an Account

• If you have not created an account before, please click "Register as a new user"

3. Login

• Your username is your email address.  A temporary password was sent to the email account you used to register.

4. Enter Application Information

• Complete the application and enter the Agency PIN T47BZ when prompted. If applicable, await agency confirmation.

5. Retrieve the Live Scan Form

• Print the pre-populated form and submit fingerprints to a Live Scan vendor.

For questions regarding this notice, please visit https://www.guardian.ca.gov or contact CBCB at 1-888-422-5669 or guardian@dss.ca.gov.

• Applicant Instruction Form