Any group registered for WGI events is required to obtain a national criminal background check (or some satisfactory equivalent for international groups) for all adult supervisors prior to them working with participants.
WGI defines an adult supervisor as “an individual in a managerial, instructional, design, or volunteer role spending two or more hours in-person per season with participants.”
New for the 2026 season, each group will submit a completed Background Check Confirmation Form, available on the Director’s Dashboard. This document should be downloaded, completed, then uploaded for review.
All Participant Protection Requirements, including Background Check Confirmation Forms, are due December 31st.
Independent groups must obtain national criminal background checks for all adult supervisors at least once every two years. Documentation of background check completion for all adult supervisors should be kept on file by the group.
Scholastic groups should follow their school/district hiring processes. If a school/district does not have a requirement for such background checks OR if any adult supervisors are not background checked by the school/district, the participating group is required to obtain a national criminal background check for those individuals.
WGI has teamed up with OneSource, who provides quick, compliant, and affordable background screening for individuals, groups, or marching arts circuits.
New account set-up fees will be waived ($99 savings), and you will have access to “partner pricing” for the TotalCheck Screening Package. The process of setting up your account may take several days, so please allow plenty of time.