What Happens When the FBI Keeps Rejecting Your Fingerprints?

We work with FBI background check applicants every week, including older clients and people with faint, worn or damaged fingerprints. Most fingerprint appointments go smoothly. This article is about the rare cases that do not.

A few days ago, an older client came to us after her fingerprints had already been rejected three times by the FBI. When we looked at her hands on the scanner, the problem was immediately visible. The ridge detail was extremely damaged, and parts of the image had a checkerboard-like appearance.

We tried carefully, but we could not get a set that we felt confident about either.

That is a difficult conversation to have with a client. Nobody wants to hear that another appointment may not solve the problem, especially when the FBI report is needed for a visa, residency application or a move overseas. But this is exactly where a fingerprint provider needs to be honest.

Sometimes the Finger Is the Problem, Not the Fingerprinting

There is quite a bit we can do during an appointment. We can change the pressure, adjust the angle, add a little moisture to dry hands, remove excess moisture and spend more time on the most difficult fingers. Electronic capture also lets us see weak areas while the applicant is still sitting in front of us.

What we cannot do is put ridge detail back onto a finger.

Age is one reason fingerprints become difficult, but it is not the only one. We also see worn prints from years of manual work, scars, skin conditions, medications and other medical issues. Sometimes a different technique helps. Sometimes the physical detail simply is not there anymore.

This is also why switching from electronic capture to ink is not an automatic solution. Ink may work better in a particular case, but it still has to record the same ridges. We discuss that question in more detail in our article about using ink cards after an FBI rejection.

The Difficult Part About a Personal FBI Background Check

Many people have heard that after two fingerprint rejections, the agency will use your name and move the background check forward. That is true in some California agency processes. It is not how a personal FBI Identity History Summary works.

The FBI needs current fingerprints to establish positive identification before it releases your personal report. Its Identity History Summary FAQ says plainly that the FBI does not provide name checks for these requests.

There is no automatic “two attempts and you are done” rule. A person can submit fingerprints a third time, a fourth time or more and continue receiving rejections if the images still cannot be used.

The FBI recommends that people with continuously rejected prints have multiple sets taken, preferably by a fingerprint technician, and mail all of the cards with the request. That may give the FBI a better chance of finding usable detail. It still is not a guarantee.

This difference matters. A California licensing or employment Live Scan and a personal FBI background check may both involve fingerprints, but the rejection procedures are not necessarily the same.

Before Paying for Another Attempt, Ask What the Report Is For

When somebody calls us after several rejections, the first thing I want to know is why the report is being requested.

Is it for employment? A professional license? A retirement visa? Dual citizenship? Residency in Spain, Portugal or Italy? An adoption? The purpose matters because it determines who is asking for the background check and whether that organization has any flexibility.

Before scheduling another appointment, ask the country, consulate, employer, licensing board or attorney handling the case:

• Do you specifically require an FBI Identity History Summary?
• Would you accept a California state criminal record clearance?
• Would you accept a local police clearance?
• Do you have a waiver or alternate procedure for unreadable fingerprints?
• What proof of the prior fingerprint rejections do you need?

Try to get the answer in writing. A phone conversation is helpful, but written instructions are much easier to rely on when you are dealing with a consulate or immigration office.

If It Really Has to Be an FBI Identity History Summary

If the requesting authority confirms that only an FBI report will work, then the choices are limited. The FBI does not have a name-search substitute for the personal Identity History Summary process.

One more fingerprint attempt may still be worthwhile, but I would make it a planned attempt rather than simply trying another random location.

• Bring every rejection notice with you.
• Tell the technician which submissions were rejected and how many times it has happened.
• Use a technician who regularly handles elderly and difficult fingerprints.
• Ask whether several fingerprint cards can be prepared during the same appointment.
• Follow the FBI’s current instructions for mailing multiple sets together.

Could another attempt work? Yes. Sometimes a change in technique or one stronger set makes the difference. Could the fingerprints be rejected again? Unfortunately, yes.

Our job when providing FBI background check assistance is to give the applicant the best reasonable chance and explain the process honestly. No responsible fingerprint provider should guarantee that severely damaged ridge detail will be accepted by the FBI.

If that careful attempt is rejected, take all of the notices back to the organization requesting the report. At that point, the most productive conversation may be about an exception or alternate document—not another fingerprint appointment.

One California Alternative Worth Knowing About

If the background check is for foreign use, there is one possible alternative worth mentioning. California has a separate DOJ Visa/Immigration record-clearance process. The current BCIA 8016 VISA Live Scan form shows ORI AE709.

This is a California state clearance. It is not an FBI Identity History Summary, and it should never be presented as though the two reports are interchangeable. It only helps when the country, consulate or other requesting authority confirms that it will accept a California report.

If an apostille is required, the applicant must request the correct certified DOJ letter with the state seal and an original wet signature. The regular response is not automatically ready for a California apostille.

That process deserves a separate article of its own. The important point here is to ask whether the California option will be accepted before starting it.

Also, do not confuse the Visa/Immigration clearance with a personal California Record Review. The DOJ says that a Record Review cannot be used for visa, immigration or foreign-nation transactions. Our comparison of FBI and California DOJ records explains why ordering the right report matters.

An Apostille Does Not Turn a State Report Into an FBI Report

This is another point that causes confusion. An apostille authenticates the signature and origin of a document. It does not change what database was searched.

A California report with a California apostille is still a California report. It does not become a federal background check, and the apostille does not force a foreign country to accept it in place of an FBI Identity History Summary.

First confirm which report the country will accept. Then obtain that report. The apostille comes after that decision, not before it.

What I Would Do After Several FBI Rejections

1. Keep every rejection notice. Do not throw away the evidence showing that you made multiple attempts.
2. Confirm the exact requirement. Ask whether the FBI report is mandatory or whether another clearance is acceptable.
3. If the FBI report is mandatory, make one careful, informed attempt. Use an experienced technician and prepare multiple sets when appropriate.
4. If the prints are rejected again, ask about an exception. Show the requesting authority the rejection history.
5. If a state report is acceptable, use the correct state process. For California foreign use, that means the DOJ Visa/Immigration process—not Record Review.

This does not create a perfect solution for every applicant. In the most difficult cases, there may not be a simple solution. But it is a much better approach than paying for one appointment after another without first finding out whether a different document can be accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the FBI use my name after two fingerprint rejections?

No, not when you are requesting your own FBI Identity History Summary. The FBI says it does not provide name checks for these personal requests.

Can my fingerprints keep getting rejected by the FBI?

Yes. There is no published rule that converts a personal FBI request to a name search after a certain number of quality rejections.

Should I try a different fingerprint technician?

Another experienced technician may be able to improve the capture, especially if the earlier problem involved pressure, positioning or moisture. A technician cannot restore ridge detail that is physically worn or damaged.

Should I switch to ink fingerprint cards?

Ink cards can help in some situations, but they are not automatically better for damaged fingerprints. The condition of the ridges and the skill of the technician matter more than simply choosing ink or electronic capture.

Can I use the California DOJ Visa/Immigration clearance instead?

Only if the country or organization requesting the background check agrees to accept a California state clearance. The current California form uses ORI AE709, but the report is not the same as an FBI Identity History Summary.

The Honest Answer

I wish there were a guaranteed workaround for every person whose fingerprints cannot be read. There is not.

Sometimes another carefully prepared set succeeds. Sometimes the prints are rejected again. When the FBI fingerprints keep getting rejected, the smartest next step is to stop guessing, confirm the exact document requirement and find out whether the requesting authority has an acceptable alternative.

If you need help understanding whether another fingerprint attempt makes sense, Anshin Mobile Notary & Livescan can help you evaluate the FBI Identity History Summary process before you schedule again.