FAQ - Fingerprints

Yes. All applicants must be fingerprinted for the Commission and cleared through the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

No. By law, fingerprint records are specific only to the requester and results cannot be shared with others. Therefore, you must fingerprint for the Commission.

No, as long as your fingerprints are still valid. If you are required to re-fingerprint - you will be notified by the Commission. 

If your credential(s) expire and you do not hold a valid credential for a period of 18 months - the Commission will notify DOJ and invalidate your fingerprints. You will then be required to fingerprint when you submit a new application. 

Not if your fingerprints are still valid - you do not have to reprint.

California residents - Must complete the Live Scan process. Please download form 41-LS and follow the 41-LS Instructions. Additional information regarding fingerprints can be found on the Commission webpage or by reading the following FAQ's.
Out-of-State applicants - please request fingerprint cards by submitting your information at CTC Fingerprint Card Request. 

You may submit live scan fingerprints as long as the fingerprints were completed through a California Live Scan site. 

No. The Commission only receives Fingerprint History from the DOJ/FBI. Any arrest or conviction noted on your fingerprint results - will be forwarded to the Division of Professional Practices (DPP), who may contact you at a later date.

The Live Scan Process takes approximately 3-7 days once DOJ/FBI receives your 41-LS form. Out-of-state applicants must complete the FD-258 "hard-Card" manual fingerprint process, which takes approximately 10-12 weeks to complete. Your prints may be delayed if any of the data on either the 41-LS or FD-258 is incomplete, incorrect, or entered incorrectly by the applicant or fingerprint operator.

Yes. The Fingerprint Unit will contact you via letter when the unit is notified by DOJ that there is an issue regarding your fingerprints and will provide further instructions, which may also require that you to "re-fingerprint."

Please visit our Fingerprint Information page and review the following topics: Before you Fingerprint- Avoiding Errors and Fingerprint Card Errors.

Applicants who used the Live Scan automated process may check the status of their fingerprint submission by visiting DOJ website.

California residents/Live Scan applicants - 60 days from date of live scan. Out-of-state residents - 75 days from submission date of your hard cards to the Commission or after the IVRS system confirms that your information was sent to the agency designated to receive your fingerprint results.

Ensure that you mailed a copy of your completed 41-LS form to the Commission and occasionally check the IVRS system noted above. You will be contacted by the Commission if it is alerted by DOJ regarding any fingerprint issues (see Delayed; Rejected fingerprints).

Your credential will be granted or you will be contacted by the Commission regarding any pending issues. 

No. You must answer the Personal Fitness Questions (PFQ's) on your application truthfully and provide police reports, court documents and/or other related documents related to all "yes" answers with your application. Please review the following webpage: Completing Your Applicant & Self-Reported Misconduct.

Delayed fingerprint results are considered in process at DOJ; as such, no further information is available from the Commission until a completed response is received from DOJ.

Rejected fingerprint is a notification that an applicant's fingerprints were rejected for data or print quality. The Commission will notify the applicant of the reject notice and provide further instructions.

You will be notified by the Commission regarding the second rejection and the Commission will work directly with DOJ to complete a name search. You will then be notified by the Commission of the DOJ results or your credential will be issued if all other requirements have been met.

The Commission requires fingerprinting for licensing purposes and the school district for employment purposes.

No. The Commission will only contact you when DOJ completes its review of your fingerprint submission.

This means that your application was forwarded to the Division of Professional Practices (DPP) for further evaluation regarding a background issue. If you have not been contacted, you will be contacted shortly by DPP.

The level of review by a licensing agency includes FBI and may take longer to process.