A Maryland CJIS fingerprint background check is a state and, in most cases, federal criminal history search run from your fingerprints through the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository at the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Government fees run $30 to $50 depending on whether you go in person or mail a fingerprint card, and private fingerprinting vendors add their own service charge on top.1Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Background Check The check is almost always ordered because an employer or licensing board told you to get one, and that same employer or board hands you the codes that make the process work.
What You Need Before You Book an Appointment
Two pieces of information do the actual routing: the Agency Authorization Number and the ORI (Originating Agency Identifier) Number. Your employer or the licensing agency issues both, and without them your prints have nowhere to go. You also need to complete a Livescan Pre-registration Form with your biographical details and identify the specific legal reason for the check, which corresponds to the statute authorizing that screening.2Maryland Department of Health. Livescan Pre-Registration Application Bring valid government photo ID to the appointment; a Maryland driver’s license or U.S. passport works.
Ask your employer or agency two questions before you schedule: which check do they need (state-only or the full state-and-FBI), and what are the authorization and ORI numbers. Show up without those and the submission gets rejected. You’ll pay again to redo it.
Where to Get Fingerprinted
Maryland allows two kinds of fingerprinting locations: government-operated facilities and private providers authorized under state regulations. Both use the same digital Livescan equipment and transmit to the same Central Repository.3Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Fingerprint Services DPSCS keeps the current list of approved private providers on its website. If a vendor isn’t on that list, don’t use them: unauthorized submissions aren’t accepted, and you won’t get your money back.
If You Live Out of State
You don’t have to travel to Maryland. Out-of-state applicants can submit ink-rolled fingerprints on an FD-258 card by mail. Everything on the card must be typed or printed in blue or black ink, prints must be rolled nail-to-nail in the correct sequence, and any stray marks in the impression blocks will cause a rejection.4Federal Bureau of Investigation. Standard Fingerprint Form FD-258 Mail-in submissions cost less in government fees but take longer.
What It Costs
Maryland sets the government portion of the fee by regulation. The full state-and-FBI check is $30 by mail or $50 in person. A state-only check is $18 by mail or $38 in person. The in-person price includes a $20 CJIS service fee for fingerprinting at a government-operated location.1Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Background Check
The components under Maryland regulations:
- State CHRI access fee: $18
- Fingerprinting service fee: $20, only when the Central Repository or an authorized government location collects your prints
- FBI fee: $16.50, made up of $14.50 plus a $2 processing fee
- Child care volunteers: $8 discount on the FBI portion
- Criminal justice employment or investigation: no fee
Private vendors set their own surcharges on top of the government fee, and the Maryland State Police notes that individual centers price independently.6Maryland State Police. Fees for Licensing Division Applications Budget $50 to $75 total for a full check at a private location.
At the Appointment
The technician uses a digital Livescan scanner to capture each finger. No ink. The scanner records the ridge patterns and converts them to a digital biometric profile on the spot, and the technician cross-checks the captured images against your pre-registration paperwork to catch any mismatched names or dates of birth before the record is transmitted. That verification step matters, because a typo can attribute your check to the wrong person or bounce the record entirely.
Once the technician is satisfied, the encrypted fingerprint file is transmitted electronically to the CJIS Central Repository. You receive a transaction or tracking number as proof of submission. Keep the receipt showing your state and federal fees were paid; many employers and licensing boards want to see it.
How Long Results Take
Electronic Livescan submissions move faster than mailed cards because they skip mail transit and manual data entry. For mail-in applications, CJIS states that state results are typically mailed within 10 working days of receiving the approved application.7Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Criminal Justice Information Services FAQ DPSCS does not publish a guaranteed turnaround for electronic submissions.
Things that stretch the timeline:
- Poor print quality that forces a recapture and a second appointment
- A common name that requires manual review to rule out false matches
- Records in multiple jurisdictions or under prior names
- FBI processing volume on the federal portion of a full check
- Missing authorization codes, incorrect ORI numbers, or payment errors
Where the Results Go
The Central Repository sends the completed report directly to the agency identified by the ORI number you provided. If you paid for the full check, the report combines Maryland’s state criminal database with the FBI’s national fingerprint file.7Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Criminal Justice Information Services FAQ You do not automatically get a copy mailed to you. What the requesting agency shares with you is governed by applicable law and its own policies.
You can, however, request your own records. Under the federal Privacy Act, you can order your Identity History Summary from the FBI, and you can request your Maryland criminal history record from the CJIS Central Repository. If you have any reason to think your record contains errors, pulling your own copy before an employer runs a check gives you time to fix them first.
Your Rights When a Private Employer Runs the Check
When an employer uses a third-party company to obtain background information, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies. Before the check is ordered, the employer must give you a clear written disclosure on a standalone document and get your written authorization.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681b – Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports
If the employer decides not to hire you based on the report, the FCRA requires two notices. Before the decision is final, they must give you a copy of the report and a summary of your FCRA rights so you have a chance to review it. After the adverse action, they must notify you of the decision, identify the company that supplied the report, and inform you of your right to dispute inaccuracies and to request a free copy of the report within 60 days.9Federal Trade Commission. Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know
Errors on background reports are more common than most applicants expect. A dismissed case that still shows as pending, an arrest that belongs to someone with a similar name, or a disposition that was never updated can all sink an application. The pre-adverse-action notice is your window to catch and fix these before the decision closes.
Fixing Errors in the Record
Challenging incorrect information is free at both the state and federal level.
Maryland State Records
For errors in your Maryland criminal history, contact the CJIS Central Repository. The Repository maintains records based on submissions from Maryland law enforcement agencies and courts.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Procedure 10-213 Typical problems include missing court dispositions, incorrect personal information, or a record that belongs to someone else entirely. CJIS verifies the challenged information with the agency that originally submitted it.
FBI Records
For errors in your federal record, you can apply for a correction either through the agency that submitted the original data or directly to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.11eCFR. 28 CFR 16.34 – Procedure to Obtain Change, Correction or Updating of Identification Records The FBI forwards the dispute to the contributing agency and only changes its record after receiving an official communication back from that agency.
The FBI processes challenges in the order received, with an average response time of about 45 days. Include documentation supporting your claim, such as court records showing a dismissal or proof of identity if the issue is a mixed-up record.12Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions For state-level arrest data appearing in the FBI file, direct the request through the Maryland CJIS Central Repository, since the FBI removes state data only at the state agency’s request.