Renew your VolunteerBadge

How your badge stays active — a self-paid renewal or automatic quarterly renewal — plus a free renewal every time a friend you refer earns their badge.

Your badge card in the portal shows status, valid-through date, and days remaining, with renewal right there. · click to enlarge

Your VolunteerBadge shows that you passed an FCRA-compliant background check. A badge stays valid for 90 days, and keeping it active is easy — everything happens in your volunteer portal (volunteerbadge.com/badge; sign in with a one-time email code, no password).

Two ways to renew

Self-renew for $10: when your badge is close to expiring (or has expired), open your portal and click Renew. The form matches an application: first and last name, middle name (or tick “I have no middle name”), date of birth, a masked SSN you can reveal, and a U.S. address with street autocomplete. It re-runs your check and keeps your badge active for another 90 days.
Auto-renew (set it and forget it): the Quarterly auto-renewswitch sits directly under your badge on the portal. Flip it on — if you don't have a card saved, a drawer asks you to check the standing-instruction box and save a card (no charge today). You can also opt in at renewal checkout. Flip it off in one gesture — there is no “Cancel auto-renew” button and no confirmation dialog. Switching off stops future screens and charges; your badge stays active until its current expiry. Turned auto-renew on before November 7, 2026? You keep renewing at the $5 price you signed up for, including a renewal you start yourself from the portal, until 12 months after the day you turned it on. After that we ask you to re-authorize at the current price before screening you again.
Renewal reminder emails: the switch Email me when my badge is about to expire sits directly under the auto-renew card. It is on unless you turn it off. Off stops the 2-week, 3-day, and expired emails. It does not cancel your badge and it does not turn quarterly auto-renew off or on.

Where the auto-renew switch lives

On your volunteer portal, the auto-renew card sits directly beneath your badge card — the one showing your status, Verification ID and expiry date. It tells you whether auto-renew is on, roughly when the next screening runs, and which card is on file, with a switch to turn it off or back on.

There is no Settings page in the volunteer portal

Everything lives on the single volunteerbadge.com/badge page — scroll down. There is no “Settings → Account” screen and no top-right menu, and auto-renew is notunder “Interests & causes” (that section controls your public profile). If you can't see the auto-renew card, it usually means you have no saved card yet — email support@volunteerbadge.com and we'll sort it out rather than sending you hunting.

Turning auto-renew off does not cancel your badge

Your badge stays valid through its existing expiry date — it simply won't renew itself after that. Switching off stops all future screenings and charges immediately, and you can still self-renew for $10whenever you like. Turning off Email me when my badge is about to expire only stops those reminder emails. It leaves auto-renew and your badge as they are.

Earn free renewals by referring friends

Every friend you refer who earns their own VolunteerBadge gives youa free renewal. Grab your invite-a-friend link from your portal and share it — there's no limit.

Payment still processing

If your bank or connection is slow, the portal can say your payment was received and screening is starting. Your badge updates on its own — you do not need to pay again. If it still has not updated after a few minutes, email support@volunteerbadge.com.

Why keep it current? Background checks are a snapshot in time, so organizations trust a current badge. Keeping yours active means you can raise your hand at a nonprofit or apply to a role and show you're ready to serve right away. Questions about a charge or renewal? Email support@volunteerbadge.com.