USPS Fingerprinting for FBI Background Check

How USPS Fingerprinting Connects to Your FBI Check

The U.S. Postal Service partners with the FBI to offer electronic fingerprint capture at participating post offices. This is one of two main routes for getting your prints into the FBI system when you're requesting your own Identity History Summary Check — the other being FBI-approved private channelers like IdentoGO or Accurate Biometrics.

USPS locations use live-scan technology (digital capture, not ink-and-paper), and the prints are transmitted electronically to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services division. The digital transmission is what makes this faster than the traditional mail-in method with paper FD-258 fingerprint cards.

Scheduling Your Appointment

1. Start your FBI request first. Register at the Electronic Departmental Order portal (edo.cjis.gov), pay the $18 federal processing fee, and print your confirmation with the order number.

2. Book the USPS appointment at ips.usps.com. The Inspection Service site lets you search for participating locations by ZIP code. Not every post office offers this service — in rural areas, you may need to drive to a larger branch.

3. Pay the $50 USPS service fee during scheduling. This is separate from the $18 FBI fee, bringing your total to $68 through this route.

4. Select an available time slot. Availability depends on the participating office; use the current slots shown during booking.

What to Bring

• Your printed eDO confirmation email with the order number
• A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID (driver's license or U.S. passport)
• Your appointment confirmation from ips.usps.com

The technician will verify your identity, capture your fingerprints on the live-scan device, and transmit them to the FBI. The whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Cost Comparison With Other Options

USPS sits in the middle on price. Private channelers can be cheaper if you find one at the low end of their fee range, but availability varies by region. The mail-in option is the most affordable but slowest.

Tips for a Clean Capture

Fingerprint rejections waste time — you have to reschedule and redo the appointment. A few things that reduce the risk:

• Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before the appointment. Clean, dry fingers produce the clearest ridge detail.
• Skip lotion and hand sanitizer right before your appointment. Residue makes prints slide and blur.
• If your hands are rough or cracked from manual labor or chemical exposure, moisturize the night before and wear cotton gloves to bed. This won't magically restore worn ridges, but it helps with surface dryness.
• Tell the technician if you've had fingerprint rejections before — experienced operators can adjust pressure and technique.

If your prints are rejected anyway, follow the FBI's resubmission instructions for the order.

After Your Prints Are Captured

Your FBI Identity History Summary — a digitally signed PDF — typically arrives by email within 24 to 48 hours. During higher volumes, delivery can take longer.

The report shows every arrest and conviction that law enforcement agencies reported to the FBI, matched by fingerprint. It won't include traffic violations or civil matters, and it may be missing final dispositions when agencies have not transmitted them.

If you're gathering records for a job search, visa application, or record audit, your FBI report is just one layer. State repository records and commercial screening file disclosures round out the picture. The Get Your Own Criminal Record toolkit covers all three layers and what to do when they don't match.