Frequently Asked Questions
What to bring, which service you actually need, and what happens if something gets rejected. Still stuck? Call us — we would rather answer than have you book the wrong thing.
Choosing the right service
Which do I need — a fingerprint card, or electronic submission to the FBI?
It depends on who asked for your prints. Most employment and licensing applications need an FD-258 fingerprint card that you submit yourself, and that is what we produce for you. Electronic FBI channeling is a narrower service: it is available for reviewing your own record, for immigration attorneys working with legal residents and Green Card holders, and for adoption, foster and public housing applications. If you are not sure, bring the letter or form the agency sent you and we will tell you which one you need.
Can you submit electronically to the FBI for a job or a professional licence?
No. FBI channeling cannot be used for employment or licensing purposes inside the United States — those requests have to go through the appropriate state identification bureau. For an application like that we capture your prints and print your FD-258 card, which you then send to the agency that requested it.
Do you submit fingerprints to the NC State Bureau of Investigation?
We do not transmit to the NC SBI. North Carolina applicants complete the state pre-registration themselves, and we capture the prints and produce the card required for the submission.
Is the FBI check you offer a statewide or Level 2 background check?
No. Electronic FBI channeling produces a national FBI record check. It is not a statewide check and not a Level 2 check.
Your appointment
How long does an appointment take?
About 15 minutes for a typical appointment. Larger card sets take a little longer — around 30 minutes for five or more cards.
What do I need to bring?
A valid government-issued photo ID, and whatever form or letter the requesting agency sent you. If the agency gave you an ORI number or a specific reason code, bring that too — it has to go on the card. If you already have your own blank FD-258 card, bring it.
My fingerprints are worn, scarred or very faint. Can you still take them?
Usually, yes — this is routine for us. Digital capture lets us check quality on the spot and re-roll as many times as it takes, and we never charge extra for re-rolls. Manual work, age, and some medical treatments all affect ridge detail; we work with it rather than sending you away.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes — the office is by appointment only, so please book online or call rather than dropping in. That also lets us make sure the right equipment and card stock are ready for you. Evening and weekend appointments can be arranged.
After your appointment
Do you keep my fingerprints on file?
Yes. Because we capture digitally rather than rolling ink straight onto a card, your record stays in our Live Scan system after you leave. Records are held under the safeguards required by the FBI CJIS Security Policy, which we are trained on annually. You are welcome to ask us at any time what we hold for you.
What happens if the agency rejects my card?
We reprint from the record we already hold — no second appointment and no need to be re-rolled. A reprint is $25 per card. Agencies sometimes reject a card for reasons unrelated to print quality, such as a missing field or the wrong form version, and we will help you work out which it was.
Can I get extra copies later?
Yes. Because your capture is on file we can print additional cards without you coming back in to be fingerprinted again.
How long do results take?
That is set by the agency processing your submission, not by us, so it varies with the programme and their current workload. We will tell you what to expect for your particular submission when you book.
Pricing, mobile visits and firearms
How much does it cost?
At our Raleigh office it is $38 for the Live Scan and your first FD-258 card, then $50 per pair of additional cards. Because extras come in pairs, some quantities include a spare at no extra cost. Mobile visits are priced separately — see the pricing page for the full breakdown.
Why do mobile visits cost more than coming to your office?
A mobile visit means loading the scanner, laptop and card printer into a vehicle, travelling to you, setting up and packing down, with the office unavailable meanwhile. So mobile is a trip fee plus a per-person rate. For larger groups it works the other way round — the trip fee is waived at ten people, and from about twenty it costs less to have us come to you than to send everyone to us.
Do you handle groups?
Yes, and the per-person rate falls as the group grows. We cover law firms, clinics, schools and corporate offices across the Triangle. For groups larger than the rates shown on the pricing page, call us and we will quote the volume rate and build a schedule that keeps the queue moving.
Can you do ATF Form 4, NFA and gun trust fingerprints?
Yes. We produce FD-258 cards to ATF requirements for Form 4, NFA and Federal Firearms Licence applications, and we can file your prints electronically to the ATF Portal.
Still not sure what you need?
Tell us what the agency asked for — the letter, the form, the reason code — and we will tell you exactly what to book. It takes a minute and saves a wasted appointment.