Meta description: Learn how to check whether your fingerprints are on file with the FBI, a state agency, or another organization, and how to request your own records.
Fingerprints may be collected for a job, professional license, immigration application, criminal investigation, or other purpose. But being fingerprinted does not mean a person can easily search every database to see where the prints went. The right way to check depends on who collected them and why. In the United States, individuals can request their own FBI Identity History Summary, contact relevant state agencies, and ask the organization that took their prints about its retention and sharing practices.
What It Means for Fingerprints to Be “on File”
Fingerprints are not kept in one universal database that the public can search. Different government agencies and authorized organizations collect and store prints for particular purposes. A print submitted for a background check, for example, may be compared against records without necessarily becoming a permanent criminal-history entry.
It helps to distinguish between a fingerprint record and a criminal history record. A fingerprint record is biometric data used to identify a person. A criminal history record may include arrests, charges, court outcomes, or other identifying information. Fingerprints can help connect a person to a record, but they do not by themselves establish that the person committed a crime.
Depending on the circumstances, prints may be held by the FBI, a state or local law enforcement agency, an immigration agency, or another authorized organization. Some systems retain prints for ongoing identification or authorized future checks; others may use them only for a particular screening. Retention rules vary by agency, purpose, and applicable law.
Start With the Organization That Collected Your Prints
The fastest first step is usually to contact the organization that requested or collected the fingerprints. This could be a police department, state licensing board, employer, school, immigration office, or fingerprinting service. Ask which agency received the prints, what screening or application they were used for, and whether the prints were retained or submitted for future checks.
A private fingerprinting vendor may have captured the prints but not be the organization that stores or controls them. Ask for the name of the requesting agency and the transaction or application number, if available. The requesting agency is often better equipped to explain the purpose, retention period, and process for correcting or challenging a record.
Useful questions include:
- Which agency or database received the fingerprints?
- Were the prints used for a one-time check or retained for later screening?
- Can the individual request a copy of the result or a record of the submission?
- What procedure applies if the prints or associated information are inaccurate?
- Is there a process to request deletion or removal, and who has authority to decide?
Keep any receipt, fingerprint card, application confirmation, or background-check notice. Those documents can help the agency locate the submission. Avoid sending sensitive information, such as a Social Security number, through ordinary email unless the agency provides a secure method and explains why it is needed.
Request Your FBI Identity History Summary
For a nationwide federal criminal-history check, an individual can request an FBI Identity History Summary, commonly called an FBI background check or rap sheet. The FBI bases this summary on fingerprint comparisons and information submitted to it by authorized sources. It is a way to review certain information associated with a person, not a public search of all databases that may hold fingerprints.
The FBI describes three ways to submit a request: through its online process, by mailing a request with a fingerprint card, or through an FBI-approved channeler. A channeler is a private company authorized to submit fingerprints and requests to the FBI for this service. The FBI’s official instructions, current fee, forms, and submission details are available on the FBI Identity History Summary Checks page.
Using the FBI’s Direct Process
Applicants generally need to provide identifying information, submit fingerprints, and pay the required fee. The FBI requires a complete set of fingerprints for the search; a name-only search is not a substitute for an Identity History Summary request. Follow the FBI’s current instructions carefully, since payment methods, submission options, and processing procedures can change.
Fingerprint cards must be legible and completed according to the FBI’s requirements. They may be taken by a law enforcement agency or another fingerprinting provider. Before leaving, check that the card includes the required information and that the prints are clear. Poor-quality prints can delay processing or require a new submission.
Using an FBI-Approved Channeler
Channelers can offer a convenient electronic submission process, but they may charge a separate service fee in addition to the FBI fee. Use only a channeler listed by the FBI for Identity History Summary requests. A channeler’s result is for the individual’s personal review; it should not automatically be treated as a substitute for a check that an employer, licensing board, or government agency is required to obtain through its own process.
An FBI Identity History Summary may show information associated with fingerprints submitted to the FBI, such as certain arrest records reported by participating agencies. It may not include every state, local, or private record, and it does not tell an applicant whether prints are stored in every federal or state system. A summary with no information is not proof that fingerprints were never collected or retained elsewhere.
Check State and Local Records Separately
State criminal-history systems are often managed by a state police agency, department of justice, or designated criminal-records office. A person can ask that agency how to request a personal record review. Procedures differ: some states require fingerprint-based requests, while others offer name-based options or separate processes for correcting a record.
Local police departments may retain fingerprints or related records from arrests, bookings, permits, or other encounters. A local agency may not be able to search or disclose information held by a state or federal system. If the prints were taken by a city or county department, contact that department’s records unit and ask what information can be released to the individual.
State laws also differ on access, sealing, expungement, and record correction. A record that has been sealed or expunged may be treated differently depending on the jurisdiction and the purpose of a background check. For a legal question about eligibility, disclosure duties, or relief from a record, a state legal aid organization or attorney can explain the rules that apply.
Other Reasons Fingerprints May Be Collected
Employment and Professional Licensing
Some employers and licensing boards require fingerprint-based screening, particularly for work involving children, health care, financial responsibilities, or public safety. The agency requesting the check can explain whether the prints are submitted to the FBI, a state system, or both. In some programs, prints may be retained for recurring checks; in others, they may be used for a specific application. The program’s notice and governing rules are the best sources for the exact policy.
Immigration and Federal Applications
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) collects biometrics for many immigration applications. Those biometrics may be used for identity verification and security checks under applicable procedures. A person seeking information about an immigration submission should use the relevant USCIS case or records process rather than assume that an FBI Identity History Summary will show the full immigration biometric file. USCIS explains its biometrics procedures on its biometrics appointment guidance page.
Arrests, Bookings, and Investigations
Police may take fingerprints during booking or an investigation. Whether the prints are transmitted to a state or federal system, retained locally, or associated with a specific case depends on the circumstances and agency procedures. If the concern relates to an arrest or court case, the relevant law enforcement agency and court may hold different parts of the record. Requesting a personal FBI summary can help identify some reported information, but it does not replace requests to those agencies.
What an FBI Check Can and Cannot Tell You
| Question | What an FBI Identity History Summary Can Help With | What It Cannot Establish by Itself |
|---|---|---|
| Is there information linked to my fingerprints in FBI criminal-history records? | It can show information returned through the FBI’s Identity History Summary process. | It cannot prove that no agency has ever collected or retained the prints. |
| Are my fingerprints in a state database? | It may include information reported to the FBI by participating sources. | It is not a complete search of every state or local system. |
| Were my prints collected for a job or license? | It may not identify the purpose or organization that submitted them. | It does not replace asking the employer, licensing board, or requesting agency. |
| Can I see every biometric database that contains my prints? | It provides a specific FBI record-review result. | There is no single public search that reveals every agency’s biometric holdings. |
These limits matter because a fingerprint-based screening is not necessarily a permanent entry in an FBI criminal-history file. Conversely, an FBI summary that contains no listed record does not establish that an employer, immigration agency, state agency, or local department has no fingerprints on file.
How to Correct an Inaccurate Record
If an FBI Identity History Summary contains information that appears wrong, the FBI provides a process to challenge or correct it. The FBI generally directs individuals to contact the agency that submitted the information to the FBI, because the originating agency is responsible for updating its submission. Follow the instructions on the FBI’s Identity History Summary page and include documentation that supports the requested correction.
For a state or local record, contact the agency responsible for that record and ask about its correction procedure. Supporting documents may include a court disposition, dismissal notice, or official identity information. If the issue concerns mistaken identity or a similar name, explain that clearly and ask what additional documentation is needed. Keep copies of the request and the agency’s response.
Correcting a record is different from deleting fingerprints. An agency may be able to correct the information associated with a print without removing the biometric data itself. Whether deletion is possible depends on the agency’s authority, the reason for collection, and applicable law or program rules.
Protect Fingerprint and Identity Information
Fingerprints are sensitive personal information. Submit them only through an official agency process or a provider authorized for the specific purpose. Verify the agency’s website address, ask how the data will be transmitted and stored, and review any privacy notice before consenting. A private background-check company may have different practices from a government agency, so its privacy policy and service terms deserve attention.
Do not assume that a company offering a “fingerprint search” can check all government databases. Be cautious of services promising instant access to every fingerprint file or guaranteed removal from government systems. A legitimate provider should identify what records it can access, which agency receives the prints, and what fees apply.
A Practical Checklist
- Identify who requested and collected the fingerprints.
- Ask that organization which agencies received the prints and whether they were retained.
- Request an FBI Identity History Summary if a federal fingerprint-based record review is appropriate.
- Contact the relevant state police or criminal-records agency for a separate state review.
- Contact local police, a licensing board, an employer, or USCIS when the prints were collected for that specific purpose.
- Use the appropriate correction process if a record is incomplete or inaccurate.
- Keep submission receipts and protect copies of identity documents and results.
The most reliable way to find out whether fingerprints are on file is to check with the organization that collected them and request the relevant records directly. An FBI Identity History Summary is a useful starting point for federal criminal-history information, but it does not search every biometric system in the country. State and local agencies, employers, licensing programs, and immigration authorities may maintain separate records under different rules.