Alabama CAN clearance forms can now be submitted electronically, but the new option does not remove the state’s form, signature or timing requirements. The Alabama Department of Human Resources notice says providers must use form DHR-FSC-1598, revised December 2009, and send a complete scan with the applicant’s original signature.
The change gives providers a faster delivery route while keeping mail available. It does not turn the clearance request into an unsigned online form. These five checks separate the two submission paths and identify the details most likely to delay a request.
Alabama CAN clearance forms: electronic requirements
The electronic route has four required elements in the DHR announcement:
- Use only DHR-FSC-1598, revised December 2009.
- Complete every applicable part of the form.
- Obtain the original signature of the person being cleared.
- Scan the signed form and email it to CANclearance@dhr.alabama.gov.
DHR also sets a 90-day submission window. The completed form must reach the agency within 90 days of the date the applicant signed it. That makes the signature date more than a formality. A provider holding an older signed form should check the date before scanning and sending it.
The announcement does not say that a typed name, copied signature or separate signature page replaces the original signature on the form. Providers should preserve the completed signed original in accordance with their own recordkeeping duties.
Electronic and mail routes compared
| Filing detail | Electronic submission | Mail or carrier submission |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted form | DHR-FSC-1598, revised December 2009 | DHR-FSC-1598, revised December 2009 |
| Signature | Original signature on the scanned form | Original signature on the mailed form |
| Extra copy | Not listed in the electronic instructions | One copy must accompany the original |
| Destination | CANclearance@dhr.alabama.gov | CA/N Central Registry, 50 N. Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130 |
| Delivery choices | U.S. Mail, UPS or FedEx |
For Alabama CAN clearance forms, the table highlights the practical difference: email requires a scan of the signed form, while a physical submission requires the original plus one copy. Providers should not assume that the mailing copy requirement applies in the same way to an email attachment.
Five checks before sending a request
First, confirm the form revision. DHR specifically named the December 2009 revision. A different version may be rejected or returned.
Second, compare the applicant’s identifying information across the form before it is signed. A clear, complete record reduces the chance that staff must ask for missing details.
Third, check the signature itself and record the date. The 90-day clock runs from that date, not from the day the provider scans the document.
Fourth, inspect the scan at full size. Every page should be upright, readable and complete. The file should not expose information unrelated to the clearance request.
Fifth, use the correct destination. Electronic requests go to the address published by DHR. Physical requests go to the State of Alabama DHR Office of Child Protective Services, CA/N Central Registry, 50 N. Ripley Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36130.
What the change does not alter
The DHR notice changes the delivery option, not the purpose of the clearance or the responsibility to handle sensitive information carefully. Providers should send only the required record, use an approved organizational process and limit access to staff who need the information.
The agency did not announce a fee change, a new form revision or a different legal standard in this notice. It also did not say that email is mandatory. Mail, UPS and FedEx remain accepted when the original signed form and one copy are included.
For organizations that submit Alabama CAN clearance forms frequently, a short intake log can track the applicant signature date, submission date, delivery route and confirmation retained. The log should avoid unnecessary personal details. Its purpose is to flag an approaching 90-day limit and document that the request was sent through the intended route.
The electronic option for Alabama CAN clearance forms should reduce delivery time for a complete request, but accuracy still matters more than speed. A readable scan of the right form, signed and sent within the required window, is the core of the new process.
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