Penal Code - PEN 7462. PART 3. OF IMPRISONMENT AND THE DEATH PENALTY [2000. - 10008.] TITLE 7. ADMINISTRATION OF THE STATE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM [5000. - 7468.] CHAPTER 18. Clearances [7460. - 7468.] (a) The department shall provide a standardized clearance packet to the institution for annual gate clearances. The institution shall only use the clearance packet provided by the department, composed only of approved forms, which allows an applicant to use the same packet for different institutions. An institution shall not require additional institution-specific “local” forms. (b) (1) An applicant applying for an annual gate clearance shall complete a standardized clearance packet. (2) A program provider applying for this clearance shall be subject to a fingerprint-based background check. The clearance application process shall be initiated prior to any fingerprint-based background check. Completion of the background check shall occur concurrently with the department’s processing of the annual gate clearance application. If the program provider has already provided fingerprints to an institution or the department, a clearance application shall be submitted to the additional institution, noting where the fingerprints were previously provided. The institution shall not require the program provider to provide additional fingerprints. (c) Approved applicants shall renew their gate clearance annually. (d) Approved applicants with an annual gate clearance shall have either a program provider identification card or a sponsor. (e) (1) The department shall not limit the number of annual gate clearances an applicant can receive. (2) The department shall notify all applicants for an annual gate clearance of the decision to approve or disapprove the application within 30 days of receipt of the application. If the department has not received the applicable information from the Department of Justice after 30 days, the department shall provide an update to the applicant. The department shall notify applicants of the decision to approve or disapprove the application within 30 days of receiving the applicable information from the Department of Justice. Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 226, Sec. 4. (SB 553) Effective January 1, 2026.