Frequently Asked Questions
How does this program benefit vendors?
Currently, in some regions, vendors pay anywhere from $30-$115 to be granted access to individual communities. The Safe Communities Vendor ID® will provide the vendor access to all participating communities for one annual fee, thus, saving the vendor from paying a fee for every community they enter.
- Safe Community participants will have a distinct advantage over other vendors bidding for work within a community. Participation in this program should certainly impact the client’s decision to choose the “Safe Communities Vendor.”
- Being a Safe Community Vendor Participant can be utilized as a great marketing tool, this will ensure your customers that you are taking that extra step by making their safety a priority.
- Employers now have an annual criminal background and driver’s license check for all of their employees in the program.
- Employers will have the ability to deactivate employees’ Digital ID upon termination or if they no longer are employed by the company.
Do I have to be a U.S. Citizen to get a Safe Communities Vendor ID®?
No, an applicant does not have to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program®
Documents are accepted from any foreign country as long as you have an authentic, valid government-issued photo ID. Safe Communities does not check immigration status or require an I-9.
What vendors need IDs and who is exempt from the program?
All vendors providing a service for a fee (including drivers and all passengers) are required to carry a Safe Communities Vendor ID®. It is recommended that all utility subcontractors and delivery personnel who enter your residence, be required to apply for the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program®. However, each community has its own policies on how they use our service.
Individuals who may be considered exempt from the program(this may differ from community to community):
- Law Enforcement, government officials, utility, power, water, phone and cable companies, as long as they are in a marked vehicle, in a uniform, and possess a photo ID issued by the utility company or government entity.
- FedEx, UPS, Post Office, and other package delivery drivers. However, if delivery drivers are on a particular property daily, it may be advisable to have them apply for the Safe Communities Vendor ID®.
- The following vendors may be required to get an ID, depending on the community, frequency of being on property, etc.: Ride Share providers (uber, LIft) food delivery, flower delivery, RX delivery, grocery delivery, construction site material delivery, etc. Any type of food delivery, flower, Rx, and construction site delivery, unless they must enter your residence.
Can I receive a Safe Communities Vendor ID® if I don’t have a valid driver’s license?
Those individuals who meet the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program® criteria, but don’t have a valid driver’s license, will receive a Safe Communities Vendor ID®; however, their ID will display a “NON-DRIVER” status. Non-drivers may not be allowed to drive within participating communities.
Driver’s License Verification:
States outside of Florida may require an applicant to provide verification from their local driver’s license bureau, and if not provided, the ID will also display a “NON-DRIVER” status.
Only applicants with confirmed valid drivers’ licenses will be designated a “DRIVER.”
Foreign Driver’s License:
Valid Foreign driver’s licenses are accepted. The applicant’s driver status will display as “Foreign DL” on the Safe Communities Vendor ID.
What disqualifies a vendor from the program and do I receive a refund if I fail to meet the criteria?
To qualify for a Safe Communities Vendor ID Program®, an applicant must meet the following standardized criteria:
No convictions* in the past five (5) years for:
- Robbery
- Theft / Larceny
- Identity Theft / Fraud
- Burglary
- Trafficking or Dealing in Stolen Property
- Felony or Aggravated Battery or Assault
- Aggravated Stalking (non-domestic)
- Felony Battery by Strangulation
- Ongoing Criminal Mindset (Ongoing crimes throughout one’s life, regardless of types of crime
No convictions* in the past ten (10) years for:
- Felony Child Abuse
- Sexual Assault / Battery
- Unlawful Sexual Activity
- Felony Battery involving a Sexual Assault
- Lewd / Lascivious Offenses & Indecent Exposure
- Manslaughter (with Intentional Physical Violence)
- Video Voyeurism
- Habitual Violent Felony Offender
- Career Criminal Designation
No convictions in a lifetime for:
- Registered Sex offender / Predator
- Solicitation of a Minor for Prostitution or Sexual-Related Crimes and Associated Offense
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Possession or Transmission of Child Pornography or associated offenses.
- Human Trafficking or associated offenses
- Child Prostitution or associated offenses
- Homicide, Attempted Homicide and Agg Manslaughter
*Convictions shall include the following terms for the purpose of this service; Guilty / Convicted, Plea or Probation Agreements, Adjudication Withheld, Plea of Nolo Contendre (No Contest), Pre-trial Intervention (PTI), Plea Agreements where the charge has been reduced from a disqualifying crime to a non-disqualifying crime and Pre-Trial Diversionary Program.
Eligible Dispositions: Not Guilty, Nolle Prosse (Not associated with a plea agreement or diversionary program), No File (Not associated with a plea agreement or diversionary program), Dropped / Abandoned (Not associated with a plea agreement or diversionary program) are all eligible for an ID.
Once an application is purchased, no refunds will be granted, regardless of whether an ID is issued or not.
Why do I need to provide my Social Security Number and is it secured?
At Safe Communities LLC, we prioritize our customers’ privacy above all else and take extensive measures to ensure complete confidentiality and security. We utilize the highest level of SSL EV Encryption available to protect your information. Your Social Security Number (SSN) is provided to our background screening provider in an encrypted format, and we never store or retain the applicant’s SSN after processing the application. Once the application is completed, the SSN is deleted from our servers.
Additionally, Safe Communities LLC is a member of the Professional Background Screening Association. Our staff is certified by this organization and trained in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and background data retention guidelines.
Social Security background checks are the first level of identity verification and provide additional identifying information that is useful for the vetting process. SSN information checks the applicant’s Social Security Number against the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Death Master Index and pulls address history information and aliases (including maiden names) previously associated with the SSN. It also verifies the state and date of issuance for the SSN.
This information can be useful for several reasons:
First, checking a Social Security Number against SSA databases helps verify an individual’s identity. This kind of check can send up red flags if the individual has committed or is committing identity theft.
Second, having a list of aliases or alternate names is useful for conducting a thorough criminal background check. Since criminal records are associated with names, someone can change their name to attempt to avoid being flagged by a background check. By using an SSN to find that person’s alias history, you can conduct background searches of older names and find any associated criminal activity. Criminal Background checks run without an SSN are considered incomplete and unreliable.
Finally, address histories can be extremely helpful in widening the scope of a background check. Most criminal convictions are filed at the county level, which means county criminal searches are a common first step to finding an individual’s criminal history. Telling you where an individual has lived in the past is often an effective and efficient way to expand the scope of a background check beyond local jurisdictions.
How do I gain access to my Digital ID?
Once approved, the Digital ID is activated, and a link is sent to the vendor’s mobile number provided on their application. If a link is not received or a vendor’s phone number has changed, the applicant can contact the Safe Communities Customer Support Team at 561-386-0044.
If I don’t qualify to receive a Safe Communities Vendor ID®, can I still work on property?
Those who don’t meet the criteria can make an appointment with the Security Director, Property Manager, or GM to request an entry “exception”. If this exemption request is approved at one of our participating communities, it does not entitle the individual to receive access to any other participating community. The applicant must make this “exception” request to all participating communities individually.
If I feel unjustly denied by the Safe Community Vendor ID Program®, what recourse do I have?
If you fail to meet the criteria for the “Safe Communities Vendor ID Program®‘, and feel that you were unfairly or mistakenly denied, you will have the opportunity to dispute this decision.
Per the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an Adverse Action Packet is mailed out and must opened by the applicant only. Employers accepting packets on behalf of their employees must adhere to this FCRA privacy law.
Adverse Action Packet includes the following:
- Notification of ineligibility
- Copy of applicants Criminal Background
- Copy of your “Summary of Rights”
- Dispute Form with instructions
If you feel the Criminal Background provided is incorrect, you will have the opportunity to file a dispute directly with the consumer reporting agency listed in the Adverse Action Packet. Once a dispute is resolved, applicants may submit a request to Safe Communities to reevaluate eligibility.
Who pays the fee?
The vendor pays the annual Digital ID fee of $50.00 per applicant. An additional fee will apply if a Physical ID is requested at the time of purchase. Replacement IDs are $15.00.
How does this program benefit the community?
At no cost to our communities, the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program® provides “Peace of Mind” by reducing the odds of criminals and sex offenders from accessing their property by screening all vendors prior to entering their community. Vendors are required to meet specific background criteria to receive a “Safe Communities Vendor ID®”.
- Knowing all vendors entering your property are not recently convicted of theft, burglary, robbery, dealing in stolen property, convicted of an aggravated crime of violence or are designated as a sexual offender or sexual predator.
- Every Digital ID displays a unique Barcode and QR code. These codes, combined with the vendor photo, ensure vendor identity and expedites check-in times and long lines at the gate.
- Digital ID displays real-time features to protect against fraud. Deactivation ability keeps up to date data records.
- Present the program information to your community’s insurance company for a possible discount on your property/liability insurance.
- Potential buyers interested in your community will know that you make residents safety a priority, by implementing the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program®.
Do vendors pass on the cost of the ID to the resident?
The entire program has many benefits to the vendor and no costs should be “passed on”. Noncompliance may indicate the vendor’s ability to meet the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program® criteria.
Get Started
Protect your residents from unscreened individuals accessing the community as vendors and service providers. Implement the Safe Communities Vendor ID Program®and guarantee only approved, background-checked vendors are working on your property.