Yes, same day appointments are possibly available. Your personal information must be sent to IDEMIA (formerly MorphoTrust) for validation before you can schedule an appointment. The applicant information is sent to IDEMIA after the entity selects proceed to fingerprints in the Background Check System (BCS). Applicant information takes about 20 minutes to upload on IDEMIA's scheduling website / call center after the proceed to fingerprint selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to DSHS Facilities, Finance and Analytics Administration's Frequently Asked Questions! Below you may search by topics such as information for bidders and question about our Language Testing and Certification Program, and Background Checks.
Appointments take about 15 minutes and must be scheduled in advance. Online appointment scheduling is available at https://www.identogo.com/. You must be on time for your appointment. If you walk in without an appointment or show up late to your appointment, you will not be printed. Some of the fingerprinting sites do not allow children to be in the printing facility. Please call IDEMIA (formerly MorphoTrust) for more information: 1.888.771.5097.
There is a special process in place for “printing” applicants who are missing any fingers, hands, or arms. Contact the office that requested your fingerprints for more information.
A LiveScan Machine is a small photocopy machine. It scans your fingerprints and creates electronic copies without the mess of ink and paper cards.
LiveScan fingerprinting helps to reduce the number of fingerprint rejections and speeds up the process by allowing fingerprints to be sent electronically rather than through the mail.
Eighteen (18) is the minimum age for being fingerprinted for all DSHS programs and services. IDEMIA (formerly MorphoTrust) Technicians will not print anyone under the age of 18. The Background Check Central Unit (BCCU) will conduct a Name and Date of Birth background check for a minor. Contact the office requesting your fingerprints for further information.
Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) may ONLY request fingerprints for under age applicants without prior approval. Student ID’s, such as ASB cards, with a photo will be an acceptable form of ID.
You must bring one of the following NON-EXPIRED Government Issued PICTURE Identification options with you to your fingerprint appointment.
Government Issued PICTURE ID:
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US Driver's License, or any Federal, State or Local Government issued ID (including a Washington State Learner's Permit). If the Driver’s License is expired you must have the paper copy, the expired hard copy and an additional form of ID.
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Any US Armed Services ID (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, etc..)
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US Passport
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Foreign Passport (with photo and signature)
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Federally Recognized Tribal ID
- British Columbia, Canadian driver’s license (Both enhanced and non‐enhanced versions)
All ID must be current. Expired identification WILL NOT be accepted unless you can prove you are in the process of renewing it.
No applicants under 18 years old can be printed unless prior DSHS Program approval.
DCYF may ONLY request fingerprints for under age applicants without prior approval. Student ID’s, such as ASB cards, with a photo will be an acceptable form of ID.
BCCU does not schedule fingerprint appointments, you will need to contact the state's fingerprint vendor, IDEMIA (formerly MorphoTrust).
To schedule an appointment through IDEMIA, please call 1-888-771-5097 or visit their website at https://www.identogo.com/. You will need the following to schedule an appointment:
- Fingerprint Appointment Form
- Applicant's Date of Birth
- Applicant Inquiry ID/OCA number found on the Interim Fingerprint Check Notification
If you are rescheduling your appointment due to the WSP or FBI rejecting your fingerprints, you can reschedule online or by phone. You must call IDEMIA at 1-888-771-5097 with the three items listed above. IDEMIA has locations throughout Washington State. Please refer to their website at, https://www.l1enrollment.com/locations/?st=wa for the location nearest you.
Unfortunately, some applicants have fingerprints that are difficult to capture, this could be due to working with chemicals or wear. The Washington State Patrol (WSP) must determine that the fingerprints are the best quality. If WSP determines the fingerprints are not the best quality, the applicant will need to be printed again.
Once the WSP accepts the fingerprints, they will send them to the FBI for processing. The FBI will then determine whether the fingerprints are the best quality. If the FBI rejects the prints, the applicant will need to be printed one more time. If the FBI rejects them a second time, BCCU will request a National Name Date of Birth check from the FBI and the fingerprint process will be completed.
To view WSP and FBI fingerprint process, please refer to our flowchart.
There are a few reasons that may result in an applicant not being able to schedule a fingerprint appointment:
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The applicant received an Additional Information Needed notification. Applicants cannot schedule a fingerprint appointment until they have provided the requested additional information.
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There is a 30 minute delay from when the requesting entity has chosen to continue with fingerprinting from their Entity Account page in the Background Check System (BCS). Requesting entities must choose to continue with fingerprinting once an Interim FP result is issued for the applicant to be fingerprinted. We suggest waiting 30 minutes to an hour after selecting proceed to fingerprints in BCS before trying to schedule the fingerprint appointment.
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The background check Inquiry ID/OCA number that is being used may be a Name and Date of Birth (NDOB) background check, not a fingerprint check. Review the type of background that was submitted to confirm it was a fingerprint based background check.
If you are still unable to schedule an appointment, please contact BCCU.
BCCU conducts Name & Date of Birth (NDOB) and Fingerprint based background checks for DSHS programs and authorized service providers who serve vulnerable adults, juveniles, and children. The type of background check conducted is determined by state and federal guidelines.
A NDOB background check includes a search of the Administrative Office of Courts, Washington State Patrol, Department of Health, Department of Corrections, and the Department's founded findings of abuse/neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, and the applicant's self-disclosure.
Fingerprint based background checks search the same databases as NDOB checks, as well as the FBI, the national sex offender registry, and state police records in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.
Entities will need to retain a copy of the signed Fingerprint-Based Background Check Notice for audit purposes. Do not mail or fax the notice to BCCU. The notice must be provided to the applicant prior to being fingerprinted. Follow the instructions provided by your DSHS program that is requiring the fingerprint check.
Federal law (Title 28, C.F.R., § 50.12 (b)) requires the Department to notify individuals subject to a fingerprint-based background check of the purpose of the fingerprint check and the method to correct errors on the FBI identification record. DSHS also created the Fingerprint-Based Background Check Notice (DSHS Form 27-089) to meet the Federal Requirement. The Fingerprint-Based Background Check Notice form is available in PDF or Word format.
The WSP and FBI do not provide BCCU with exact turnaround times. Their turnaround times vary due to the volume of fingerprints being processed.
The turnaround time on prints also depends on whether the fingerprint cards are the first set of prints submitted for the associated inquiry ID/OCA number or if they are resubmitted prints. The first set of prints is submitted electronically, allowing for a faster turnaround time. However, the resubmitted prints require a hard card to be printed and mailed, causing slower turnaround times.