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 complete electronic FBI fingerprint submissions and retrieve their Identity History Summary through our Channeler workflow.
Receiving an email that your FBI results are ready does not necessarily mean that your report has been safely saved.
For electronic FBI background checks submitted through our Channeler workflow, the result is delivered through a secure pickup system. The applicant must find the correct emails, use the supplied credentials, complete two-factor authentication, open the report and save the PDF.
That final part matters. In the secure delivery system used for our submissions, the report can be picked up only once. After the applicant retrieves it, the login account and FBI result are permanently deleted from the pickup system. If the PDF is not saved correctly, the applicant may need to begin again with a new fingerprint submission.
This guide explains what to expect and what to do before opening your electronic FBI Identity History Summary.
Why the Results Email May Not Appear in Your Inbox
Applicants receive 2 emails from the FBI or an FBI-approved Channeler (The FBI produces the Identity History Summary, but an FBI-approved Channeler may manage the secure electronic delivery). Sometimes, those messages never appear in the regular inbox at all.
This is because emails involving an FBI background check, a secure pickup link or sensitive records can trigger an email provider’s filtering system. For example, Apple Mail, a corporate mail server or another email service may automatically route the message to spam, junk, trash, quarantine or another filtered folder.
You Will Normally Receive Two Important Emails
In the electronic pickup process used for our submissions, applicants should watch for two separate messages.
The Instructions and Credentials Email
One email contains the information needed to identify and unlock the result. This includes:
- The Transaction Control Number, commonly called the TCN
- The FBI pickup password
- Instructions for retrieving the report
- Important warnings about the retrieval deadline and one-time pickup
The Results-Ready Email
After processing is complete, a second email notifies the applicant that the response is available and supplies a link to the secure pickup website.
In most cases, the messages will not appear next to each other in the inbox. One may arrive before the other, and an email provider may place one or both of them in spam, junk or trash.
Use Your Own Private Email Address
An FBI Identity History Summary contains private personal information. The email address supplied for electronic delivery should belong to the applicant.
Do not use another person’s email address merely because that person is helping with an application. We also recommend avoiding a company or organizational email address when possible. Corporate firewalls and security filters may block automated messages, secure links or authentication emails before they ever reach the inbox.
In our experience, a personal web-based email account such as Gmail or Yahoo is often easier to use for this process. Whatever address you select, confirm that you can access it before the fingerprints are submitted and continue checking it after the appointment.
Check Spam, Junk and Trash Folders
We frequently hear from applicants who believe that their result never arrived. The message is often sitting in a filtered folder.
Search the entire mailbox—not only the primary inbox—for words such as “FBI,” “results,” “pickup,” “background check” and the name of the Channeler. Check spam, junk, trash, promotions and quarantine folders. Applicants using a corporate address may also need their information technology department to determine whether the message was stopped by the organization’s firewall.
Use a Computer to Retrieve the Report
Although an applicant may be able to read the notification on a phone, applicants must completing the actual retrieval on a desktop or laptop computer. The applicant must move between the email, the secure pickup page, the authentication process and the downloaded PDF. That is much easier to manage on a computer.
Before opening the pickup link, have the following available:
- The email containing the TCN
- The FBI pickup password
- The email containing the secure pickup link
- The telephone used for authentication
- A known and secure location on the computer where the PDF can be saved
Write Down the TCN and Pickup Password
The TCN and pickup password may not work when copied and pasted into the secure portal. Applicants should be prepared to type them manually.
Write down both credentials carefully or place them in a temporary note on the computer so they can be read while the pickup page is open. Pay attention to similar-looking characters, capitalization and punctuation. One incorrect character can prevent access.
For example, this “verticle bar” or “pipe” character (“|”) is often used. Applicants often confuse it with a lower case “L” or upper case “i”.
Do not publish, forward or casually share these credentials. They protect access to a private FBI record.
Open the Pickup Link and Enter the Credentials
Click the secure link in the results-ready email. The link should take you to the pickup website, where you can enter the TCN and FBI pickup password.
Type both credentials exactly as shown. If the portal rejects them, check the entries character by character before making repeated attempts. Confirm that no spaces were added at the beginning or end.
Be Ready for Two-Factor Authentication
The pickup system adds a second identity check before releasing the report. Keep the designated telephone turned on and nearby.
The system used for our submissions can provide a six- or seven-digit authentication code by voice call to a mobile telephone or a direct landline. A landline must be a direct number and cannot require an extension. Authentication options can change, so applicants should follow the instructions displayed by the secure portal at the time of retrieval.
Enter the code promptly when requested. If the call does not arrive, confirm that the telephone can receive calls and that unknown callers are not being automatically blocked.
If the Pickup Website Will Not Open
A browser problem does not necessarily mean that the report is unavailable. If the portal freezes, produces an unusual warning or repeatedly returns to the login page, try these steps:
- Close the page and reopen the original link from the email
- Clear the browser’s cache and temporary website data
- Try a different current browser
- Open the link in a private or incognito browser window
- Disable an overly restrictive browser extension temporarily
- Confirm that the computer’s date and time are correct
A private or incognito window often resolves a conflict caused by stored cookies or an earlier incomplete login attempt.
The 30-Day Deadline Is Not a Storage Period
Under the secure pickup instructions used for our Channeler submissions, the applicant has 30 days from the date of the response to retrieve the result. Reminder emails may be sent, but applicants should not rely on those reminders.
The 30-day period is a deadline for pickup. It does not mean that the portal will permanently store the report for repeated downloading.
If the result is not retrieved within the permitted period, it cannot be recovered from that pickup account. The applicant may have to be fingerprinted again and complete a new submission.
The Report Can Be Picked Up Only Once
This is the most important operational point in the entire process.
In our Channeler’s delivery system, once the report is picked up, the login account and FBI result are permanently deleted from the secure server. Reopening the old email does not recreate the result. The pickup link should therefore be opened only when the applicant is ready to save the PDF correctly.
Do not treat the secure portal as cloud storage. The applicant’s saved copy becomes the working original after retrieval.
Save the PDF Immediately
When the FBI result opens, it may appear as a PDF inside the browser. Seeing the document on the screen does not mean that it has been saved to the computer.
Use the PDF download control or the browser’s save function. Select a location that will be easy to find, such as a clearly labeled folder in Documents. Give the file a recognizable name without changing the PDF format.
For example:
FBI-Identity-History-Summary-Applicant-Name.pdf
After saving, do not immediately close everything. First confirm that the download succeeded.
Open and Verify the Saved File
Navigate to the folder where the PDF was saved and open the file from the computer. Do not merely look again at the copy still displayed in the browser.
Check that:
- The PDF opens without an error
- Every page is present
- The text and FBI markings display clearly
- The file is not blank or partially downloaded
- The document was saved as a PDF rather than a webpage or screenshot
This verification is especially important when the report will later be submitted for a federal apostille. The original downloaded PDF should be preserved exactly as received. A screenshot, photograph, browser printout or damaged conversion may create an avoidable problem later.
Keep a Secure Backup
Once the PDF has been opened and verified, save a secure backup. The applicant might place a second copy on encrypted storage or in a private cloud account protected by a strong password and two-factor authentication.
Because an FBI Identity History Summary contains sensitive personal information, do not leave copies on a public computer, shared office drive or unprotected email account. Delete temporary notes containing the pickup password after confirming that the report has been saved successfully.
How Quickly Will the Result Be Available?
Electronic submissions are generally faster than mailed fingerprint cards. In our experience, many results from our electronic submission process become available within minutes. The delivery instructions advise that response time can vary from approximately five minutes to two days, with many responses arriving within several hours.
A response can take longer when the FBI must wait for related state-level information or when additional processing is required. Applicants should therefore watch their email after submission without assuming that every result will arrive on the same timetable.
What If You Already Opened the Result but Did Not Save It?
First, check the computer’s Downloads folder and the browser’s download history. The PDF may have been saved automatically even if the applicant does not remember selecting a location.
If the report is not on the computer and the secure system shows that it has already been retrieved, contact the provider promptly. Whether any assistance is possible depends on the delivery system and what stage the request has reached. In a true one-time-pickup system, another fingerprint submission may be necessary.
A Simple Retrieval Checklist
- Use the applicant’s own personal email address
- Watch for two separate messages
- Check spam, junk, trash and filtered folders
- Complete retrieval on a desktop or laptop computer
- Have the TCN, pickup password and telephone ready
- Type the credentials manually
- Complete two-factor authentication
- Retrieve the result before the 30-day deadline
- Download the PDF during the one-time pickup
- Open the saved file and verify every page
- Keep a secure backup of the original PDF
Getting Help With an Electronic FBI Background Check
The fingerprint appointment is only one stage of obtaining an FBI Identity History Summary. Applicants also need to understand the electronic delivery process and preserve the report correctly after it is issued.
If you need an electronic FBI background check in Los Angeles, Anshin Mobile Notary & Livescan can explain the submission and retrieval process before your fingerprints are captured. Our FBI Identity History Summary service is the natural starting point for applicants who need both electronic submission and clear retrieval instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my FBI background check email come from a company I do not recognize?
An FBI-approved Channeler may deliver the electronic result to the applicant. The FBI creates the Identity History Summary, while the Channeler manages secure transmission and delivery for the submission.
What is a TCN?
TCN stands for Transaction Control Number. It identifies the electronic fingerprint transaction and is one of the credentials used in our Channeler’s secure retrieval process.
Can I retrieve my FBI result on my phone?
We recommend using a desktop or laptop computer. The process involves multiple emails, manually entered credentials, telephone authentication and saving a PDF. A computer makes it easier to complete and verify every step.
Why will the pickup portal not accept copied credentials?
The secure portal may not accept text copied and pasted from the email. Type the TCN and pickup password manually, checking capitalization, punctuation, similar-looking characters and unintended spaces.
How long do I have to retrieve the result?
The secure pickup instructions used for our electronic Channeler submissions provide 30 days from the date of the response. Other submission or delivery systems may use different procedures, so always follow the instructions supplied with your request.
Can I download the FBI report more than once?
In the pickup system used for our submissions, the report can be retrieved only once. Save the PDF immediately, open the saved file to verify it and keep a secure backup.
What happens after I retrieve the report?
The pickup account and result are permanently deleted from the secure delivery system. The PDF saved by the applicant becomes the copy that must be preserved.
What if the report is needed for an apostille?
Preserve the original downloaded PDF exactly as received and verify that it opens correctly. Do not substitute a screenshot or altered file. The federal apostille process is a separate step performed after the FBI report has been obtained.
Retrieve It, Save It and Confirm It
The job is not finished when the results-ready email arrives. It is finished when the applicant has downloaded the FBI Identity History Summary, opened the saved PDF from the computer and confirmed that the complete report is secure.
The safest approach is simple: use your own personal email address, watch for both messages, retrieve the result on a computer before the deadline and verify the saved file before closing the pickup page. Those few minutes of care can prevent the loss of a report that may otherwise require a new fingerprint submission.