Fingerprinting Questions For Your Employer

“Where will my fingerprints be submitted?” 

If your fingerprints are are going to be submitted out-of-state, that is, outside of California ie. to another state, or country, then you will most likely need Ink Fingerprinting on Fingerprint Cards.

But if your fingerprints are destined for the California Department of Justice, then you are most likely going to do Live Scan Fingerprinting. 

“Does my employer want my fingerprints, or will they accept my criminal arrest record? And if so, should the record be state or federal?”

These are important questions to ask. If the agency asking you to get fingerprinted wants Ink Fingerprinting on Fingerprint Cards, then you definitely need Ink Fingerprinting on Fingerprint Cards. However, some agencies may accept your criminal record itself. This is particularly true in cases where, for instance, a foreign country like Canada, is asking for a “background check”. For instance, a Canada TRP Application will accept an FBI Background Check, rather than Ink Fingerprinting on Fingerprint Cards.

If you look at the comparison between FBI Background Check and Ink Fingerprinting on Fingerprint Cards, you can see how. 

“Do I need Live Scan Fingerprinting digital fingerprints, or Ink Fingerprinting on Fingerprint Cards?”

As discussed above, the procedures for each of these pathways are very different. 

“Do I need state or federal review?”

The question here is, does the employer need to check my California Background Check, or, my FBI Background Check? The procedures for both of these are different. It’s important to learn how to see your criminal record.