A background check in Florida costs anywhere from $24 for a basic name-based search through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to roughly $66–$135 for a fingerprint-based Level 2 screening once you add the federal processing fee and a LiveScan vendor’s charge. What you actually pay depends on which agency requires the check, whether fingerprints are involved, and which vendor rolls your prints.
The Cheapest Option: FDLE Name-Based Search
If you just need a Florida-only criminal history, the FDLE name-based search is the least expensive route. You submit a name and date of birth, FDLE returns publicly available Florida criminal records, and the fee is $24 per search, set by statute. Running it online adds a $1 credit card processing fee.1Florida Department of Law Enforcement. State of Florida Criminal History Record Check Results come back immediately and you can print or email them.
Two limits are worth knowing before you pay. A name-based check covers Florida records only, so anything from another state won’t show up. And because the results aren’t certified, some employers and licensing boards refuse to accept them. For anything beyond a quick in-state look, you’ll need fingerprints.
What a Level 2 Fingerprint Check Costs
Florida law splits mandatory employment screening into two tiers under Chapter 435 of the Florida Statutes. A Level 1 screening uses name-based FDLE data plus an employment history review and a sex offender registry search, with no fingerprinting.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 435 – Employment Screening A Level 2 screening requires electronic fingerprints submitted to both FDLE and the FBI, and it’s what’s required for jobs involving children, the elderly, people with disabilities, healthcare workers, educators, and many state licensees.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 435.04 – Level 2 Screening Standards
A Level 2 check has three price components:
- The FDLE state fee: $24 for a standard applicant.
- The FBI federal fee: $12.
- The LiveScan vendor’s fee: roughly $30 to $99, depending on the provider.
Add those together and most people pay somewhere between $66 and $135 for a Level 2 screening.4Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Criminal History Record Check Fee Schedule The LiveScan piece is the one you can shop around on. Vendor prices differ within the same city, so calling two or three providers before you go in can genuinely save money.
Discounted State Fees for Certain Agencies
Not everyone pays the standard $24 FDLE fee. Screenings routed through the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Department of Elder Affairs carry only an $8 state fee plus the $12 federal fee, for $20 in government charges before the LiveScan vendor.4Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Criminal History Record Check Fee Schedule Criminal justice applicants pay no government fee.
Volunteers get a smaller discount. Under the Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System (VECHS), the FDLE state fee drops to $18 and the federal fee to $10, for a $28 government total. The LiveScan vendor fee still applies.4Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Criminal History Record Check Fee Schedule
AHCA Clearinghouse Pricing for Healthcare Workers
Healthcare workers, assisted living facility employees, home health aides, and similar roles go through the Agency for Health Care Administration’s Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse, which has its own fee structure.
- New applicant screening: $60 plus the LiveScan vendor fee. This covers state and federal processing and enrolls your fingerprints in the Clearinghouse for five years.
- Renewal screening (required every five years to keep prints active): $42.
- Resubmission after a 90-day-or-more employment gap: $12.5Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Background Screening
The Clearinghouse can save real money over time. Once your prints are enrolled, they stay in the system and get checked automatically against new arrest records. You don’t need a full new screening every time you change employers within the same industry, and employers can verify your Clearinghouse status at no cost.5Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Background Screening
Organizations that care for children, the elderly, or people with disabilities can also run screenings through FDLE as “qualified entities” under Florida Statute 943.0542, which uses the standard FDLE and FBI fees.6Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 943.0542 – Access to Criminal History Information Provided by the Department to Qualified Entities
Private Employer Background Checks
Most private employers in Florida don’t go through FDLE directly. They use third-party screening companies that bundle criminal records with driving history, education verification, past employment, and sometimes credit reports. A basic criminal-only package starts around $20 to $40. Comprehensive packages that verify multiple data points can run past $100 to $200. The employer almost always pays, not the applicant.
Tenant Screening Costs
Landlords also use private screening services rather than FDLE. A typical tenant package bundles a credit report, criminal search, eviction records, and sometimes income verification, and prices generally fall between $25 and $50 per applicant. Landlords usually pass the cost to the applicant as part of the application fee. Florida doesn’t cap what a landlord can charge for screening, so fees vary by property. Ask what the screening covers and which company runs it before you pay.
Checking Your Own Record
You can review your own Florida criminal history at no charge through FDLE’s personal review process. You submit a completed application along with a fingerprint card taken at a local law enforcement agency, and FDLE returns your full Florida criminal history record.7Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Criminal History Records – Personal Review Your only cost is whatever your local police department or sheriff’s office charges to roll your prints, which varies by agency.
For a national check on yourself, the FBI’s Identity History Summary costs $18 and also requires fingerprints.8Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions Running a personal review before applying for a job or license lets you catch errors, dropped charges, or dismissed cases before an employer sees them, and it tells you whether you might be eligible to seal or expunge a record.
What It Costs to Clear a Record
If your background check turns up something you’re eligible to clear, Florida allows court-ordered expungement or sealing under certain conditions. Expungement is generally available if the charges were dropped, dismissed, or resulted in an acquittal and you’ve never been adjudicated guilty of a criminal offense in Florida. Sealing is sometimes available even when adjudication was withheld.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 943.0585 – Court-Ordered Expunction of Criminal History Records
The process begins with a certificate of eligibility from FDLE, which costs $75.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 943.0585 – Court-Ordered Expunction of Criminal History Records You’ll also pay a court filing fee to the clerk when you file the petition; the amount varies by county. Hiring an attorney adds several hundred dollars. Altogether, an expungement or sealing usually runs $150 to $500 depending on whether you handle the paperwork yourself or use a lawyer. Florida limits you to one expungement or sealing in your lifetime, with narrow exceptions, so get the certificate of eligibility before paying attorney fees — FDLE will tell you up front whether you qualify.
Quick Fee Reference
- FDLE name-based search: $24, plus $1 online processing, Florida records only
- Level 2 fingerprint check, standard applicant: $24 state + $12 federal + $30–$99 LiveScan
- Level 2 through DCF, DJJ, or Elder Affairs: $8 state + $12 federal + LiveScan
- AHCA new applicant screening: $60 + LiveScan
- AHCA renewal (every five years): $42
- AHCA resubmission after 90-day gap: $12
- VECHS volunteer screening: $18 state + $10 federal + LiveScan
- Personal review of your own Florida record: free from FDLE, plus local fingerprint fee
- FBI Identity History Summary: $18
- Expungement certificate of eligibility: $75
Every fee listed reflects FDLE’s schedule effective January 2025. The LiveScan vendor fee is the only piece that varies materially between providers, so a couple of phone calls before you get printed is the easiest way to keep the total down.