Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS A LIVE SCAN?
Live Scan is a way to take inkless fingerprints, which are then digitalized and transmitted directly to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ then checks the fingerprints against known criminal history records. A response (criminal history or no criminal history) is then sent to the agency requesting the Live Scan. If an applicant has no criminal history a response should be sent from the DOJ to the requesting agency in approximately 3 to 7 days.
WHAT DO I NEED FOR A LIVE SCAN?
Applicants must bring in three (3) copies of the “Request for Live Scan Service” form. The form must be completed by the agency requesting the Live Scan and by you, the applicant. We CANNOT assist you on filling out the form. The applicant must also provide picture identification to us, such as: United States issued driver’s license/identification or passport. Forms are given to the applicant by the agency sending the applicant in for the Live Scan. Bowfingerprint services cannot provide you with the forms.
HOW MUCH DOES A LIVE SCAN COST?
There are two fees involved in the Live Scan process: the rolling (fingerprinting) fee and the background investigation fee. BowFingerprint services charges a $30.00 rolling (fingerprinting) fee for all applications. The fees charged for the background investigation depend on the type of Live Scan application and what level of service is required by the agency that has requested your Live Scan. (The background fee is the fee that the DOJ charges for researching your fingerprints to determine if you have a criminal record or not). This fee is in addition to the $30.00 rolling (fingerprinting) fee.
WHAT TYPE OF PAYMENT IS ACCEPTED?
BowFingerprint services accepts payment in the form of Cash, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, Money Order, Cashiers Check, Corporate or Business Checks. Please note that if you are providing a corporate or business check, the check must be issued from the agency that is listed on the Live Scan form and must also be the agency that is requesting your Live Scan.
I HAD A LIVE SCAN DONE BEFORE, DO I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN?
The DOJ does not share your information with other agencies. An applicant’s Live Scan form acts as a release for a criminal history response to be sent to the specified requesting agency. This means that you must submit a new application each time a criminal history is requested of you, therefore you must go through the Live Scan process again. Previous Live Scan information CANNOT be utilized.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET MY LIVE SCAN RESULTS?
In most cases, the results from DOJ come back within 72 hours. Due to various reasons, results can be delayed. For any significant delay, the DOJ will contact the requesting agency. The results are either emailed or sent to the requesting agency listed on the Request for Live Scan Service form. Once the Live Scan process has been completed at our facility, please direct all inquiries to the agency handling your employment or licensing. BowFingerprint services cannot resubmit a record without written permission from the DOJ. This process may take up to 30 days.