If you live outside California and need a state background check for a license, job, or volunteer role, out-of-state fingerprinting for California means submitting ink-rolled prints on an FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card (Form FD-258) by mail, because the state’s electronic Live Scan system only operates within California. The mailed process works, but it typically takes 10 to 12 weeks instead of the few days Live Scan requires, and one smudged print or one wrong field on the paperwork will send you back to the start.
Confirm the Agency Accepts Hard Cards
Before paying anyone to roll your prints, verify with the California agency requesting your background check that it accepts hard card submissions at all. Most licensing boards and employers do. Some do not. The California Department of Social Services generally requires electronically transmitted fingerprint images and will return hard copy FD-258 cards to the submitting agency, though DOJ may grant exceptions in specific pre-approved situations.1California Department of Social Services. Live Scan Application Process and Associated Fees The Commission on Teacher Credentialing accepts FD-258 cards, but only from applicants whose home address is outside California, and only on the cardstock the Commission itself provides.2Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Fingerprint Information Ask before you spend anything.
Get the Right Forms From the Requesting Agency
Contact the California agency that asked for the background check and request their applicant submission paperwork. In most cases this is a version of the BCIA 8016, the standard Request for Live Scan Service form issued by the California DOJ.3California Department of Justice. Request for Live Scan Service You are not using Live Scan, but this form still travels with your card as the transmittal document telling DOJ who requested the check and where to send the results.
Fill in every field the agency has pre-populated or told you to complete. Four fields matter most: the Originating Agency Identifier (ORI) number, the agency mailing address, the five-digit Mail Code assigned by DOJ, and the authorized Applicant Type or Type of License.3California Department of Justice. Request for Live Scan Service DOJ uses these to route results, so getting any of them wrong is the fastest way to have your submission rejected. If any field is unclear, call the requesting agency rather than guessing.
Get Your Prints Rolled on FD-258 Cards
You need ink-rolled prints on a standard FD-258 card. Local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and private fingerprinting services can do this, usually for a rolling fee of about $10 to $25 that is separate from the state processing fees. Call ahead to make sure the location has FD-258 cards on hand or will accept one you bring.
The FBI accepts prints in black or blue ink, so either color works.4Federal Bureau of Investigation. Guidelines for Preparation of Fingerprint Cards and Associated Criminal History Information Ink color matters far less than print quality. All ten rolled prints must be clear, complete, and free of smudges. One unreadable print rejects the whole card, which means a new rolling fee, a new card, and another round of mailing.
Have two cards printed during the same visit. California regulations for several licensing categories instruct out-of-state applicants to complete two fingerprint cards and keep the second in case the first is rejected as unreadable.5New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. California Code of Regulations 1585 – Fingerprints and Background Checks for Applicants The backup card must be a fresh set of rolled prints, not a photocopy.
Assemble and Mail the Package
Your mailing package should contain the completed FD-258 card, the applicant submission form (BCIA 8016 or the equivalent your agency provided), and payment for the DOJ and FBI processing fees. Most agencies direct you to mail the package to the requesting California agency itself rather than to DOJ; the agency then forwards the prints for processing. Follow whatever mailing instructions your specific agency gives you.
Processing Fees
DOJ charges separate state and federal fees that vary by check type. For a general license, certificate, or permit, the combined fee is $49: $32 for the state criminal history search and $17 for the FBI federal search. If the license involves a firearm, an additional $38 firearms eligibility fee brings the total to $87.6California Department of Justice. Applicant Fingerprint Processing Fees These are separate from the rolling fee at the fingerprinting location.
Payment Methods
Payment is usually made by check or money order included with the mailed application. Some agencies also let you pay the fingerprint processing fee online through the state’s BreEZe system when you submit your license application.7Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Instructions for Submitting Hard Card Fingerprint Cards Confirm the exact payee name with the requesting agency. A wrong payee delays processing just as reliably as a smudged print.
The Faster Route: Card Conversion
If a 10 to 12 week wait is a problem, some California-based Live Scan vendors offer fingerprint card conversion. You mail them your completed FD-258 cards, and they scan and transmit the prints to DOJ as an electronic Live Scan submission.8Capital Live Scan. Fingerprinting for Out-of-State Applicants to California Because the submission enters the system electronically, results usually come back within 48 to 72 hours instead of months.
These vendors generally require two unique FD-258 cards (not photocopies) plus a completed BCIA 8016 form from your requesting agency.9Capital Live Scan. FD-258 Fingerprint Card Conversion in CA The vendor charges its own service fee on top of the standard DOJ and FBI fees. Before you go this route, confirm in writing that the requesting agency accepts electronically converted submissions. Most do.
Processing Times and Checking Status
Standard electronic Live Scan results from DOJ alone typically arrive within 48 hours; when both DOJ and FBI checks are required, expect three to seven business days. Mailed hard card submissions take 10 to 12 weeks at DOJ, and that can stretch during high-volume periods.2Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Fingerprint Information The delay is manual data entry: paper cards have to be keyed in before they hit the same automated pipeline Live Scan feeds directly.
DOJ sends the results to the requesting agency, not to you.10California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Fingerprint Background Checks For status updates, contact that agency. DOJ does maintain an online status tool at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov, but it requires an ATI number and is built for Live Scan submissions, so hard card submissions without an ATI number may not appear there.11State of California – Department of Justice. Applicant Status Check
If Your Card Gets Rejected
A rejected card slows things down but does not end the process. If DOJ accepts your images but the FBI rejects them for poor quality, you will need to be reprinted and resubmit using the original submission number from the first attempt.12Office of the Attorney General – State of California – Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions – Applicant Agencies This is where the backup card earns its keep.
If the FBI rejects your prints a second time for image quality, a third fingerprinting is not the answer. The agency must instead request an FBI name check, a text-based search of FBI records using your personal information rather than your prints. California DOJ requires that the name check request be received within 75 days of the second rejection notice, and both rejections must be for the same applicant type.12Office of the Attorney General – State of California – Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions – Applicant Agencies The FBI’s own general guidance allows 90 days, but the tighter California deadline is the one to meet.