The background check is one of the important actions taken by USBJJF/IBJJF to increase the safety of BJJ practitioners, academies and tournaments.

• All Black Belt Certificate Applicants who reside in the United States and are submitting First-time or Renewal Applications.
• Professors and instructors applying for or renewing their Academy Registration with USBJJF.
• USBJJF/IBJJF reserves the right to request a background check from any athlete for any application at our discretion.
• Should any background check return information worthy of disqualification, USBJJF/IBJJF reserves the right to deny membership application.

The National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) is responsible for running all Background Checks. Apply online through the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI).

• Provide your full legal name, email address, telephone number, resident address, date of birth (DOB), and U.S. Social Security Number (SSN)
• The fee for your Annual Background Check is $18.50 paid directly to the NCSI.

NCSI returns the results of every background check requested from the IBJJF website directly back to IBJJF, generally within 5 business days. In some cases, however, the process may take somewhat longer.

A person may be disqualified and prohibited from serving as a volunteer, athlete, spectator, professor, or certified Black Belt if he or she has been convicted of any of the following felony or sex offense by courtroom trial, a plea of “guilty”, or a please of “no contest” with a court finding of “guilty” regardless of means of adjudication or receiving court-directed programs in lieu of conviction.

• SEX OFFENSE
• Any and all sex offenses including but not limited to child molestation, rape, sexual assault and/or battery, sodomy, prostitution, solicitation, or indecent exposure, regardless the time passed since the conviction.
• FELONIES
• All felony violence offenses, including but not limited to murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated burglary, regardless of the time passed since the conviction.
• All other felony offenses within the past 10 years, including but not limited to drug offenses, theft, embezzlement, fraud, and child endangerment.
• PENDING CASES
• Individuals in pending court cases for any offense falling into one of the above categories will be immediately disqualified. However, if the disposition or outcome of the pending case does not meet the above criteria, the application or current member will be considered exonerated and accepted or reinstated as a member in good standing.