How to Get FBI Background Check

Who Can Request Their Own FBI Background Check

Anyone can request their own FBI background check — you don't need a reason, and you don't need an employer or agency to initiate it. The formal name is the FBI Identity History Summary Check, and it pulls nationwide arrest and conviction data linked to your fingerprints from the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services database.

People typically order this for employment pre-screening, visa and immigration applications, professional licensing, international adoption, or simply to know what's in their file before someone else checks. Whatever the reason, the process is the same.

The Electronic Method (Fastest)

The electronic method is the fastest route and typically returns results in 24 to 48 hours:

1. Register at the FBI's Electronic Departmental Order portal (edo.cjis.gov) — enter your name exactly as it appears on your government ID
2. Pay the $18 federal processing fee online
3. Print the confirmation email with your order number
4. Get fingerprinted at one of two types of locations:
   • A participating USPS post office ($50 service fee — schedule at ips.usps.com)
   • An FBI-approved channeler like IdentoGO, Accurate Biometrics, or Telos ID ($30–$75 depending on provider and location)
5. Receive your digitally signed PDF by email, typically within one to two business days

Bring your confirmation email and a valid photo ID to the fingerprinting appointment. The technician captures your prints electronically and transmits them directly to the FBI through encrypted channels.

The Mail-In Method (For Those Without Live-Scan Access)

If you live overseas, in a rural area without nearby fingerprinting locations, or simply prefer paper:

1. Complete FBI Form 1-783 (Identity History Summary Request Form) in black ink
2. Have a certified technician roll your prints on two FD-258 fingerprint cards using heavy white cardstock (90 lb minimum) — local police departments, sheriff's offices, and some UPS stores offer this service for $5 to $25
3. Prepare payment: $18 via money order or cashier's check payable to "Treasury of the United States," or complete Form 1-786 for credit card payment
4. Mail everything flat (never fold fingerprint cards) in a rigid envelope to the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia

Processing takes 2 to 6 weeks under normal conditions. During peak periods, turnaround can stretch to 12 to 14 weeks.

Avoiding Common Rejection Reasons

Fingerprint rejections are the most frequent delay. The FBI's automated system kicks back prints that are too light, smudged, or incomplete. A few things that help:

• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before the appointment
• Avoid lotion, which makes prints slide
• If you've worked with chemicals, concrete, or abrasives, your ridge detail may be worn — ask the technician to use the "milking" technique to bring up detail
• Digital live-scan captures have a lower rejection rate than ink-rolled cards

If your prints are rejected, the FBI sends a notice and you'll need to follow its resubmission instructions.

What Your FBI Report Shows (and Doesn't Show)

Your report will list arrests, charges, and dispositions that law enforcement agencies forwarded to the FBI. It won't include traffic violations or civil judgments, and it may be missing records or final dispositions that agencies never submitted. Missing disposition data is common — the arrest might appear without noting that charges were later dropped.

This is why comparing your FBI report against state-level records and commercial screening reports gives you the full picture. The Get Your Own Criminal Record toolkit covers all three layers and includes dispute templates for correcting errors before they cost you an opportunity.