FBIFingerprintingLosAngeles.com is an educational publication owned and operated by Anshin Mobile Notary & LiveScan. Its purpose is to help applicants understand and successfully navigate the FBI background check process, from choosing a submission method through receiving the completed FBI Identity History Summary.
Editorial attribution: This guidance is based on our day-to-day experience helping Los Angeles applicants understand why the FBI requires a current fingerprint submission and how that submission is used to return an Identity History Summary or a response stating that no criminal history was located.
“If the FBI already has my fingerprints, why do I have to give them another set?”
We hear some version of this question all the time. Many applicants think the fingerprint appointment is meant to put their fingerprints into an FBI file. Others wonder why the FBI cannot simply look them up by name or reuse fingerprints taken years ago.
The process becomes much easier to understand once you separate the fingerprints from the report. Your fingerprints are not your FBI record. They are what the FBI uses to confirm your identity, search for the right record and make sure the result comes back to the right person.
The Short Answer: A Current Fingerprint Set Is Still Required
Yes, you need a current set of fingerprints every time you request an FBI Identity History Summary. That is true even if you have been fingerprinted before.
The FBI does not perform a name check for this personal record request. Your current fingerprints show that the person making the request is the person whose record should be searched. That protects you from having private information released simply because someone else knows your name and date of birth.
Think of the Fingerprints as a Key, Not as the Record
The easiest way to picture the process is to think of your fingerprints as a key.
The key is not the information inside the file. It is what allows the FBI to find the file that belongs to you. If the search finds criminal history information connected to your fingerprints, the FBI returns that information in your report. If it does not, the FBI sends back a letter stating that no Identity History Summary was found.
It is not a perfect technical description, but it gets the important point across: the fingerprints and the record are two different things.
Does the FBI Already Have Your Fingerprints?
Maybe. The FBI may have received fingerprints through an arrest or through certain government-related processes. But that does not automatically mean you have a criminal record.
More importantly, the answer does not change what you need to do. Even if the FBI received your fingerprints in the past, you still have to submit a current set with the new request.
The FBI does not pull an old set from a file and reuse it for your personal background check. The new fingerprints are what connect you to the result you are requesting today.
Why Does the FBI Need New Fingerprints If Old Ones May Exist?
Because the FBI needs to know that the fingerprints submitted with today’s request belong to you. Your fingerprints and personal information, and the fingerprint technician having met and verified your identity, is what allows the FBI to access your information (if it exists) and make it available to you. An old set somewhere in a system does not do that job.
People can share the same name. Dates of birth can be entered incorrectly. Names can also change. Fingerprints give the FBI a much more reliable way to connect the request to the right person.
This is also why repeat applicants need to be fingerprinted again. The FBI is not asking for a new set because it necessarily lost an older one. The new set is part of proving your identity for this request.
What Does “No Record” Actually Mean?
People sometimes think “no record” means the FBI could not find their fingerprints. That is not what it means.
A no-record response means the fingerprint submission was processed successfully, but the search did not locate an FBI Identity History Summary for that person. Using the key analogy, the key worked; there simply was no criminal history report to open.
A no-record response does not mean:
- No government agency has ever collected the applicant’s fingerprints
- Every state, local, foreign or specialized database is empty
- The applicant’s fingerprints were rejected or could not be searched
A fingerprint rejection is different. A rejection means the impressions could not be searched successfully and another set may be needed. A no-record response means the search was completed and no FBI Identity History Summary was found.
What Happens During an Electronic FBI Background Check?
For an electronic FBI background check, here is what normally happens:
- The applicant provides the information required for the Identity History Summary request.
- A current set of all ten fingerprints is captured.
- The fingerprints and required information are sent through an authorized electronic connection as part of the applicable FBI Channeler workflow.
- The FBI searches its system to confirm the applicant’s identity and look for criminal history connected to that person.
- The FBI produces either an Identity History Summary or a letter stating that no criminal history was found.
- The result comes back through the secure delivery process used for that submission.
In the Channeler workflow used for our electronic submissions, the applicant receives secure retrieval instructions and must save the completed PDF after opening it. Our separate guide explains how to retrieve and save electronic FBI results without losing the one-time download.
The fingerprinting provider captures and submits the required information. The provider does not decide what appears on the report. That answer comes from the FBI’s search.
Does Requesting Your Report Create a Criminal Record?
No. Getting fingerprinted for your own FBI Identity History Summary does not create an arrest, charge or conviction.
The request searches for information that may already exist. It does not add a new criminal event to your history. If the FBI does not find criminal history, you receive a no-record response. The fingerprint appointment does not create a criminal record.
FBI Fingerprinting and California Live Scan Are Not Interchangeable
The fingerprint scanner may look similar, but the destination and purpose of the transaction are what matter.
A California Live Scan request is normally tied to a particular California agency, application or eligibility decision. A personal FBI Identity History Summary request is designed to return the applicant’s own FBI record—or a no-record response—to the applicant.
This is why the first question should not be, “Where can I get Live Scan?” The better question is, “Which report do I actually need?” Our comparison of an FBI Identity History Summary and a California Record Review explains why one cannot automatically replace the other.
What the Applicant Should Do Next
If an agency, employer, attorney or foreign authority told you to get an FBI background check, first confirm that the document they want is an FBI Identity History Summary. Then choose a fingerprinting process that produces that specific report.
Do not let the question of whether the FBI already has older fingerprints hold you up. It does not change the requirement. You still need a current set for the new request.
If you need an FBI background check in Los Angeles, Anshin Mobile Notary & Livescan can capture your fingerprints, coordinate the electronic submission through our Channeler workflow and explain how you will receive the completed report. The FBI Identity History Summary service is the right starting point when the report itself—not a California agency response—is what you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the FBI have my fingerprints if I have never been arrested?
It may have received fingerprints through another government-related process, but that does not mean you have a criminal record. Either way, you still need a current set for a new Identity History Summary request.
Why can’t the FBI use fingerprints I submitted years ago?
The current set shows that the person making today’s request is the person whose record should be searched. The FBI requires new fingerprints with each Identity History Summary request, even when older fingerprints may exist.
Can the FBI find my Identity History Summary using only my name?
No. The FBI does not provide name checks for personal Identity History Summary requests. Fingerprints confirm your identity and help keep the report from being released to the wrong person.
What does an FBI “no record” response mean?
It means the completed fingerprint search did not locate an FBI Identity History Summary containing any information for that identity. It is different from a fingerprint rejection, which means the impressions could not be searched successfully.
Will requesting my FBI report give me a criminal record?
No. A personal record request searches for information; it does not create an arrest, charge or conviction.
Is an FBI fingerprint submission the same as California Live Scan?
No. The equipment may be similar, but the request goes to a different place and produces a different result. An FBI Identity History Summary comes back to the applicant. A California Live Scan response normally goes to the California agency that requested it.
The Fingerprints Identify the Record; They Are Not the Record
The main thing to remember is that your fingerprints and your FBI record are not the same thing.
Your current fingerprints work like a key. They help the FBI confirm who you are and search for the report that belongs to you. If a report exists, the FBI returns it. If no criminal history is found, the FBI returns a no-record response.
Whether the FBI received your fingerprints sometime in the past does not remove the need for a current set. The new submission is what connects you to the result you are requesting now.
This article is part of When Something Goes Wrong, where we cover the two situations behind most of the distressed calls we take.
Also in this section: Rejected. Do I Need Ink Cards Now?.