FBI Electronic Departmental Order

What the Electronic Departmental Order Portal Is

The FBI's Electronic Departmental Order — commonly abbreviated eDO — is the online system for requesting your own Identity History Summary Check. It's the digital alternative to mailing paper fingerprint cards and forms to the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The portal lives at edo.cjis.gov and has been the recommended path since the FBI expanded electronic processing options.

The eDO portal handles account creation, payment, and order tracking. It doesn't capture your fingerprints directly — you still need to visit a physical location for that part — but it streamlines everything else and cuts the turnaround from weeks to days.

Step-by-Step Through the eDO Portal

1. Create your account at edo.cjis.gov. Enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your government-issued photo ID. Mismatches between your eDO account name and your ID can cause delays or rejections at the fingerprinting stage.

2. Complete the request form. The portal walks you through personal details and asks how you want your report delivered. Select secure email delivery — your Identity History Summary arrives as a digitally signed PDF.

3. Pay the $18 federal processing fee. The portal accepts credit cards and Amazon Pay. This fee covers one Identity History Summary request.

4. Print your confirmation. The portal generates a confirmation email with an order number. You'll need this at your fingerprinting appointment — the technician uses it to link your prints to your eDO request.

5. Schedule fingerprinting. The eDO system doesn't dictate where you get fingerprinted. You have two main options:

• USPS participating post offices — register at ips.usps.com and pay a $50 service fee. Not all post offices participate, so check availability in your area first.
• FBI-approved channelers — private companies like IdentoGO, Accurate Biometrics, or Telos ID that are certified to capture and transmit prints to the FBI. Fees range from $30 to $75 depending on the provider.

6. Attend your appointment. Bring your printed eDO confirmation and a valid photo ID. The entire fingerprinting process takes about 10 minutes. Your prints are encrypted and transmitted electronically to the FBI.

7. Wait for delivery. Your digitally signed PDF typically arrives by email within 24 to 48 hours of fingerprint capture.

Common Issues and How to Avoid Them

Name mismatch: Your eDO account name must match your photo ID exactly. If your legal name has changed (marriage, court order), bring supporting documentation to the fingerprinting appointment.

Print quality rejections: The FBI's automated system requires clear ridge detail. Dry, cracked, or chemically worn fingerprints are the most common rejection cause. Moisturize your hands (but not immediately before — wipe off excess) and avoid hand sanitizer right before the appointment.

Incomplete orders: If you don't complete fingerprinting, check the eDO portal for the current status of your order before starting a new request.

Email delivery issues: Check spam and junk folders. The FBI sends the report from a CJIS email domain that some filters flag. If you haven't received your report after the usual processing window, use the contact information in your order confirmation.

What Comes After the Report

Your eDO-obtained Identity History Summary Check is the same FBI report produced through other official submission methods. Whether it is accepted for an apostille, visa application, or professional licensing submission depends on the receiving authority's requirements.

If you need your report authenticated for use in a foreign country, the next step is obtaining an apostille from the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications — a separate process with its own timeline and fees.

For the full picture of your criminal history — FBI federal records, state repository reports, and commercial screening files — the Get Your Own Criminal Record toolkit walks through every layer of the record audit.