Frequently Asked Questions
Live Scan fingerprinting is a digital process that electronically captures a person’s fingerprints and personal information, and then submits them to the appropriate state or federal agency for processing. It is used for background checks and to obtain accurate identity information. Live Scan fingerprinting is faster, cleaner, and more accurate than the traditional ink-and-roll method. It eliminates issues like smudging, smearing, and over or under inking.
Live Scan is a form of background check required by the state and federal governments, typically for state-issued licenses, employment, or volunteer work. It is also often required for (but not limited to) people who work or volunteer in positions of trust for populations such as vulnerable citizenry, the elderly, dependent adults and children. The government will check submitted fingerprints against its database to retrieve an individual’s criminal record.
Live Scan is often required for people who work or volunteer in positions of trust for populations such as vulnerable citizenry, the elderly, dependent adults and children. Live Scan fingerprinting is often required for:
✓ Applying for a job or volunteer position
✓ Applying for a professional license, such as a medical, dental, or attorney license
✓ Applying for a permit or certification, such as a concealed weapon permit or teacher credential
✓ Applying for a visa
✓ For immigration purposes
✓ To perform a personal review
Understand the costs associated with Live Scan fingerprinting before you go! We strive to make our pricing clear and straightforward. Our team is here to help you understand the breakdown of these costs and ensure there are no surprises.
Please note, the total cost of your Live Scan will include our Fingerprint Rolling Fee plus any applicable Government Fees (DOJ and FBI fees), which depend on the specifics of your application. However, If this service is for employment and your employer has an account with ApplicantServices / Biometrics4All, you won’t need to pay any costs upfront.
Some requesting agencies will cover the government processing fees by providing the billing number/payment ID/contract number on the Request For Live Scan Service form. If these numbers are not present on the form, and you were not given an Applicant Services/Biometrics4All Account Flyer by your requesting agency, you are responsible for paying all fees associated with the Live Scan.
Fingerprinting Fee: Our service includes a $25 fingerprint rolling fee for capturing and processing your fingerprints. This fee is for our services and does not cover any governmental fees. The fingerprinting fee may or may not be covered by your requesting agency.
Government Fees: In addition to the fingerprinting fee, there may also be government fees (Cal-DOJ and/or FBI fee) as well. Please use this link to access the most up-to-date Government Fee information. Please note that government fees are subject to change without prior notice. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fees vary depending on the type of application. These fees are required for the background check process and are separate from our fingerprint rolling fee.
You bring your Request for Live Scan Service form and a valid photo ID.
The Live Scan Operator will enter your information into the Live Scan system and take your fingerprints. Fingerprinting can take a few minutes or longer, depending on the quality of your prints. You may be asked to rescan your fingerprints.
The information is then sent to the governing Live Scan agency to compare your fingerprints to a database of criminal history, which may take up to 30 days to be sent to your requesting agency or employer. Some transactions can take several days due to poor fingerprint quality and on rare occasions when searching decades old fingerprint records are necessary, it can take up to a couple of weeks.
You can check the status of your Live Scan on the Department of Justice Applicant Status Check website: https://applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov/checkstatus which will let you know if it is still processing or if it has been completed. You will need your date of birth and ATI number. The ATI number should be located at the bottom of the Live Scan form you received after you did your Live Scan.
California Department of Justice typically sends the result within 48 hours. However, it can take up to a few weeks. After 2 weeks, visit Cal-DOJ’s Live Scan status website https://applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov/ to check on the status of your transaction. You will be asked to enter the live scan assigned 10-digit Applicant Tracking identifier (ATI) for your transaction along with your birth date.
If the Cal-DOJ cannot locate your transaction, it does not mean they did not receive it. Generally, it means that they have not completed their processing. Wait a couple more weeks and try again.
A Live Scan can be rejected either for poor fingerprint quality or data entry errors.
Your employer or agency can find out what the reason was by emailing [email protected].
You or your agency may also receive a rejection letter from the DOJ that states the reason for rejection.
Less than 0.5% of the Applicants will be rejected due to poor fingerprint image quality. We recommend that you apply ample lotion to your hands throughout the day for one week prior to returning to the Live Scan location for resubmission.
If you entered the data incorrectly or there is a mistake on your Request for Live Scan form, you must initiate and pay for a NEW transaction. Once submitted to the DOJ, we cannot correct/change any information. You will need to complete a new Live Scan form with the correct information and pay the fees for a new Live Scan. You may wait to get a rejection letter, as the Live Scan may still pass, but this could cause the process to take longer.
If you received two rejection letters, you will need to undergo the Name Check process. Please visit: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/fingerprints/fbinamecheck.pdf
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may reject fingerprints even if the images were acceptable by the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ). If this happens, the applicant will need to be reprinted using the original ATI (Applicant Transaction Identifier).If rejected twice for poor quality, the applicant agency must request an FBI name check. Consult your requesting agency for how to complete and submit the FBI Name Check Request.
If you used Applicant Services or Biometrics4All for your LiveScan and received a rejection notification, click on the Transaction History option, select the transaction, and click on the “Resubmission” link will be made available. First resubmission is free when the following requirements are met:
– Must complete the Resubmission within 30 days from the original transaction (we recommend 14 days).
– Must reschedule online with the Original Live Scan Location to perform the Resubmission.