Terms of Service

1. Eligibility and Representations

Access to Gridline is restricted exclusively to active, sworn law enforcement officers employed by a recognized government law enforcement agency in the United States. By applying for and using the Service, you represent and warrant that:

• You are currently employed as a sworn law enforcement officer, agent, detective, or official with a recognized federal, state, county, municipal, or tribal law enforcement agency in the United States;
• You hold active sworn officer status with arrest authority — not a civilian, support staff, or administrative role within a law enforcement agency;
• You are at least 18 years of age;
• You have the legal authority to enter into these Terms;
• All information you provide during registration and verification is accurate, current, and complete;
• You will keep your profile information current and notify Gridline promptly if your employment status, agency, or rank changes; and
• You will notify Gridline immediately if you separate from sworn law enforcement service, at which point your account will be subject to deactivation.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, do not apply. Gridline will verify your credentials and may reject applications that do not meet this standard without explanation.

2. Verification and False Credentials

Gridline employs a multi-layered verification process designed to ensure that only active sworn officers gain access. This process includes:

• Agency email verification — only government-issued law enforcement email domains are accepted. Personal email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.) are blocked.
• Two-document review — Gridline administrators manually review two government identification documents you submit: a police/badge ID (to confirm active sworn status) and a driver's license (to confirm your identity matches the credential). Both are required. Submitted documents are deleted after the verification decision.
• Annual re-verification — members must resubmit current credentials each year to confirm continued active sworn status. You will be notified beginning about 60 days before your term ends, and can re-verify yourself directly in the app.

Gridline makes reasonable efforts to verify credentials but does not guarantee the accuracy of member-provided information. The multi-step process is designed to deter fraud; no verification system is infallible. Members who discover a potentially fraudulent profile should report it immediately via the in-app reporting function.

Gridline reserves the right to reject any application for any reason, including inability to verify credentials to our satisfaction, without obligation to disclose the specific grounds for rejection.

If you separate from sworn law enforcement service after your account has been approved, you are obligated to notify Gridline immediately at support@checkgridline.com. Continued use of the Service after separation from sworn service constitutes a material misrepresentation and grounds for immediate termination without refund.

3. Acceptable Use

Gridline is a professional contact directory and peer Forum for law enforcement interagency coordination and discussion. You agree to use the Service — including direct and group messaging and the Forum — only for lawful, professional purposes consistent with your duties as a law enforcement officer. The Forum is for professional questions, peer guidance, and general discussion; it must not be used to request or share record lookups, case data, or any restricted information described in the Acceptable Use Policy.

Your use is also governed by our full Acceptable Use Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference and sets out in detail the data and conduct that are prohibited — including CJIS/NCIC and restricted-system data, personal information about suspects or civilians, and active investigation details. The list below is a summary; the full Acceptable Use Policy controls.

You agree NOT to:

• Harass, threaten, or intimidate any other member of the platform, whether on-duty or off;
• Impersonate another officer, agency, or rank;
• Share, transmit, or publish through the platform any information that is classified, restricted, law enforcement sensitive (LES), or subject to any law enforcement privilege or confidentiality obligation;
• Use the platform to conduct unauthorized surveillance of officers, agencies, or civilians;
• Export, screenshot, copy, or aggregate member profile data — including names, ranks, agencies, contact information, or any combination thereof — for any purpose outside of direct, legitimate interagency coordination. Systematic collection of member data in any form is strictly prohibited;
• Share, publish, or distribute another member's contact information, profile details, or any information obtained through Gridline with any non-member or for any purpose unrelated to professional law enforcement duties. This includes sharing member information on social media, public websites, or with any third party;
• Attempt to identify or expose undercover officers, officers working in protective status, or any member who has requested limited visibility for officer safety reasons;
• Attempt to access, probe, or compromise the security of the platform or any member's account;
• Use the Service to solicit members for commercial products, services, or outside employment;
• Violate any applicable federal, state, or local law in connection with your use of the Service.

4. CJIS Scope and Data Restrictions

Because Gridline is a directory and communication tool — not a criminal justice information system — you must not use the platform to share, transmit, request, or discuss:

• NCIC records, NLETS data, or any output from a criminal justice database
• Criminal history records, rap sheets, or arrest records
• Active warrant details or fugitive information linked to a specific subject
• Active case files, case numbers associated with named subjects, or investigative reports
• Personally identifiable information (PII) of civilians, suspects, victims, or witnesses
• Confidential informant information
• Any information subject to a court-issued protective order or non-disclosure requirement

Gridline's intended use is professional coordination — finding the right contact, identifying the right unit, and connecting with the right officer across agencies. It is not a channel for sharing sensitive investigative information. Use your agency's authorized, CJIS-compliant systems for that purpose.

Violation of this restriction is grounds for immediate account termination and may be reported to your agency and applicable oversight authorities.

5. Agency and Department Policies

Some law enforcement agencies have internal policies that restrict or regulate officers' participation in third-party platforms, even professional ones. It is your responsibility — and your agency's responsibility — to ensure that your participation in Gridline complies with all applicable department policies, regulations, and directives.

Gridline does not represent that use of the Service is permitted under any specific department's internal rules. If you are unsure whether your department permits use of Gridline, consult your agency's legal or compliance office before registering.

Gridline will not be liable for any employment consequences resulting from an officer's use of the platform in violation of their department's internal policies.

6. Messaging and Communications

Gridline provides in-app direct and group messaging between verified members, as well as a member Forum for professional questions and peer discussion. All messages and Forum posts are subject to these Terms, including the Acceptable Use restrictions in Section 3 and the CJIS data restrictions in Section 4. Members can block and report other members from within the app, and Gridline reviews reports and may remove content or accounts that violate these Terms.

Messages are encrypted in transit but are not end-to-end encrypted. Gridline may access message content in connection with a security investigation, legal process, or review of a reported Terms of Service violation.

Do not use the messaging feature to transmit any information you would not send via standard work email.

Gridline is a professional networking platform, not a system of record and not a channel for official law enforcement communications. Messages sent through Gridline do not constitute official department communications, are not subject to department records retention policies, and are not intended to serve as evidence, official documentation, or formal correspondence of any kind. Officers should not use Gridline messaging in place of their agency's authorized communications systems. Gridline automatically deletes direct and group messages 30 days after they are sent unless saved, and is under no obligation to retain message history. Gridline is an independent platform operated by Gridline Network LLC and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any agency, department, or government entity.

7. Account Termination

Gridline reserves the right to suspend or permanently terminate any account at its sole discretion, including for:

• Failure to pass or maintain verification
• Submission of false or fraudulent credentials
• Separation from sworn law enforcement service
• Violation of the Acceptable Use policy (Section 3)
• Sharing CJIS-covered or other restricted information through the platform (Section 4)
• Harassment, impersonation, or misconduct toward other members
• Any other conduct Gridline determines is harmful to the integrity of the network

In cases of immediate risk to member safety or platform security, Gridline may terminate access without prior notice. In other cases, Gridline will make reasonable efforts to provide notice before termination.

Upon termination, your right to access the Service ends immediately. Your profile will be removed from the directory and your data will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

8. Refund Policy

Gridline membership is sold as an auto-renewing annual subscription through the Apple App Store. Apple processes all payments and refunds. Because Gridline does not process your payment directly, we cannot charge or refund your payment method ourselves — all refund requests are handled by Apple under the App Store's policies. You can request a refund from Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com. With that in mind:

• Denied applicants. If your application is reviewed and denied, your membership will not be activated. Because Apple processes all payments and refunds, you may request a refund directly from Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
• Termination for Terms of Service violations. If your account is terminated due to a violation of these Terms — including submission of false credentials, sharing restricted information, or other misconduct — you are not entitled to a refund of any membership fees paid.
• Voluntary cancellation after approval. You can cancel your membership at any time in your device's Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Cancellation stops future renewals; whether a refund is issued for the current period is determined by Apple under the App Store's refund policy.
• Expired memberships. Memberships that lapse at the end of the subscription term after the member has had a full period of access are not eligible for refund.
• Annual re-verification failures. If an account is deactivated due to failure to complete annual re-verification, it may be reactivated upon successful re-verification. No refund will be issued for the period during which the account was inactive.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Gridline Network LLC and its officers, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or relating to your use of the Service, including but not limited to:

• How members use contact information obtained through the Gridline directory;
• The accuracy or currency of member profiles, which are user-provided;
• Any action taken or not taken by a member based on information found in the directory;
• Any unauthorized access to or disclosure of your data resulting from a third-party breach;
• Interruption or unavailability of the Service.

Gridline is a professional directory tool. It facilitates connections between verified law enforcement professionals. It does not direct, supervise, or control the professional actions of its members. Gridline is not responsible for the conduct of any member on or off the platform.

In any event, Gridline's total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to Gridline in the 12 months preceding the claim.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Gridline makes no warranty that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure;
• Any profile information submitted by members is accurate or current;
• The Service will meet your specific professional or operational requirements.

Member profile data is self-reported and verified at the time of enrollment. Gridline does not continuously monitor whether member information remains current or accurate between verification cycles.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Gridline Network LLC and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service in violation of these Terms;
• Your submission of false or inaccurate information;
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation; or
• Any claim by a third party arising from your conduct on or through the platform.

12. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved first through good-faith negotiation. If negotiation is unsuccessful, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration in New Jersey, conducted by a neutral arbitrator under applicable arbitration rules. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm.

13. Changes to These Terms

Gridline may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you via in-app notification or by email to your registered agency address at least 14 days before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes acceptance of those changes. The current version of these Terms will always be available at checkgridline.com/terms.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms or to report a violation:

• General inquiries & support: support@checkgridline.com
• Legal notices: support@checkgridline.com (attn: Legal)
• Security disclosures: support@checkgridline.com (attn: Security)
• Officer safety / profile visibility: support@checkgridline.com (attn: Safety)

Gridline Network LLC
checkgridline.com