There is more than one route to an FBI Identity History Summary, and the right one depends on where you are, how fast you need it and what the receiving authority will accept. These articles explain the routes and the paperwork that has to travel with them.
Do I Have to Go to the Post Office?
No. You can use a provider working through an FBI-approved Channeler, or submit physical fingerprint cards directly to the FBI. Which suits you depends on location, urgency and what the requesting authority accepts.
What Is an FBI Channeler?
Providers, Channelers and the FBI are three separate parties performing three different roles. Understanding that relationship explains why your report arrives from a company rather than from the FBI.
What Paperwork Do You Actually Need
The forms that must accompany the submission, and why instructions differ depending on whether an attorney, adoption agency, licensing office or foreign government is asking.
How Employers Can Coordinate It for an Employee
An employer can remove the scheduling, payment, travel and administrative barriers without ever receiving the employee’s report or handling their personal information.