Lifetouch: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Lifetouch was founded in 1936 as National School Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Eldon Rothgeb and R. Bruce Reinecker, who started the school photography business during the Great Depression, according to its Wikipedia history. It is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and describes itself as part of the Shutterfly family of brands.

Lifetouch describes itself as the professional photography choice for schools and families, built on the tradition of Picture Day. Its school photography covers preschool through high school graduation, as well as sports, special events, seniors, and yearbooks, and it offers additional family photography through JCPenney Portraits by Lifetouch. A CADY announcement in August 2025 described Lifetouch as serving more than 15 million students in over 45,000 schools every fall.

The same announcement said CADY, another school photography company, was acquiring Lifetouch's high school photography accounts and its Prestige senior portrait brand in select schools in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Texas. The accounts were to stay with Lifetouch during the 2025-2026 school year and move to CADY in summer 2026, while Lifetouch focused on K-8 and select high schools. Candidates should note that part of the business is changing hands.

Lifetouch's careers site runs through the Shutterfly careers portal, which describes Shutterfly as organized into three divisions: Consumer, Lifetouch, and Shutterfly Business Solutions. Job categories include photography, manufacturing operations and logistics, information technology and security, sales and account management, marketing and creative, people operations, and software and data engineering, and the site says roles range from highly technical to hourly manufacturing positions.

Company culture and employee programs:

Lifetouch says its purpose is to help families capture life's memories. Its schools safety page says all Lifetouch photographers are its employees, not third-party contractors, and that printing is handled in-house. Benefits and schedules vary by role, location, and whether a position is full-time or part-time, so candidates should confirm details during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the school and portrait photography industry, including Lifetouch, are legally permitted to run pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and applicable state and local laws. Schools may also set their own rules for anyone who works on campus, and state or local requirements can apply.

Lifetouch says every photographer must pass a background check before working in any school or academic setting. That statement appears on its schools safety and security page, which adds that Lifetouch takes additional steps so its screening meets state and local requirements. Screening for other roles, such as manufacturing or corporate positions, may differ.

The Lifetouch hiring process typically starts with an application through the careers portal, where candidates can search open jobs or join a talent network. Qualified applicants may then have interviews with a recruiter and a hiring manager, and a conditional offer may depend on a background check and other pre-employment steps. The exact steps may vary by role and location.

A Lifetouch background check can take from a few business days to longer, depending on the searches ordered and how quickly courts and agencies respond. Records in several counties or states can add time. Candidates who want typical timelines can review background check turnaround times.

The employer chooses which searches to run, so the scope may vary by role. For a photography role in schools, which Lifetouch says requires a background check, a check may include some or all of the following:

Candidates should review the disclosure and consent forms they receive to see which searches apply to their role.

Whether Lifetouch requires a drug test is not publicly stated, and it may vary by role and location. Employers with production, manufacturing, and driving roles often screen for those positions, so a plant or driver role may be more likely to involve testing than an office job. Candidates should check their offer paperwork to see what applies to their position.

The lookback period for a background check depends on the type of search and the laws of the state or country where the candidate lives or worked. In the United States, the FCRA generally limits consumer reporting agencies from reporting most negative information older than seven years, with certain exceptions for higher-salary positions and specific record types such as convictions. Some states have stricter limits. Candidates with records in multiple jurisdictions may see different lookback windows applied to different searches within the same report.

Lifetouch does not publish a policy on hiring candidates with felony records, and decisions are typically made case by case. Factors that may matter include the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and the duties of the role, and photographers who work with children in schools may face stricter requirements from schools and states. In Minnesota, where Lifetouch is headquartered, Minnesota Statutes section 364.021 generally bars public and private employers from asking about or considering criminal records until an applicant is selected for an interview or receives a conditional offer, with exceptions for employers that have a statutory duty to check criminal history. Many other states and cities have enacted similar "ban-the-box" laws. Candidates are encouraged to answer honestly if asked.

Candidates applying to Lifetouch will typically be asked for written consent before a background check begins, usually on a disclosure form. Be ready to provide your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history, and for school-based roles, any school or state forms. Accurate information helps ensure searches cover the right jurisdictions and avoids delays.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. Under the FCRA, employers must obtain written consent before running a background check, provide a copy of the report and a summary of rights if they intend to take adverse action based on the results, and allow the candidate an opportunity to dispute inaccurate information before a final decision is made. For a detailed overview of how the FCRA applies to background checks, visit Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Lifetouch says photographers must pass a background check before working in any school or academic setting, and such checks may include criminal history and sex offender registry searches. The company says it takes additional steps so its screening meets state and local requirements, and schools may add their own rules for campus visitors. Candidates should ask their recruiter which checks apply in their state.

Lifetouch is part of the Shutterfly family of brands, and its careers site runs through the Shutterfly careers portal, so a listing or offer letter may name Shutterfly or Lifetouch. The portal describes Shutterfly as organized into Consumer, Lifetouch, and Shutterfly Business Solutions divisions. Candidates should confirm the employing entity and work location on their offer paperwork.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Lifetouch may see and help you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your job application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential employers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.