Users' questions

What happens when you get fingerprinted for a job?

What happens when you get fingerprinted for a job?

Fingerprint background checks use fingerprint data to match a person to a criminal record. The fingerprints are then checked against a database, which returns matching criminal records if any are found. Employers and lawmakers alike often assume fingerprint data ensures more thorough background checks.

Do fingerprints stay on file forever?

Fingerprints are usually only kept in the system for a limited time (such as six months) and then destroyed unless they are ordered to keep them on record as part of a court order for certain people convicted of crimes.

Can fingerprints be deleted?

You can’t remove your fingerprints as they are stored at FBI/CJIS. Even if you change your identity, your fingerprints don’t change and are unique to you (even between identical twins).

Where can I get a background check for my fingerprint?

The best way to do this is by running a regular background check on yourself. Public background checking sites are available for anyone to use. They have access to much of the same criminal record information as professional checking sites and more than most fingerprint record checks.

Do you need a fingerprint scan to get a job?

If a fingerprint scan is part of the employment process, be upfront about your criminal record. It’s best your employer hear it from you than via an extensive background check, and fingerprinting will likely reveal all your convictions.

What do employers need to know about fingerprint checks?

Checking fingerprints helps employers meet the requirement standards of both the job position and the overall industry. Fingerprint checks also help employers ensure that they’re hiring individuals with clean or acceptable criminal records. More than anything, fingerprint checks help ensure the overall safety of businesses at large.

Where does the FBI store your fingerprint records?

This enters the criminal history and fingerprints into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), the national system that stores all criminal fingerprints and “rap sheets” for all arrested individuals in the country. At a moment’s notice, an FBI agent or police officer can request those records.

How does a fingerprint background check work for a job?

Fingerprint-based background checks run job applicants through both FBI and state criminal databases to create a complete criminal profile of the job applicant.

If a fingerprint scan is part of the employment process, be upfront about your criminal record. It’s best your employer hear it from you than via an extensive background check, and fingerprinting will likely reveal all your convictions.

Do you have to have an arrest record for FBI fingerprint check?

If you simply want to run the FBI’s fingerprint check, you usually won’t have anything to worry about. If you do have an arrest record, no matter where or when it happened, your employer may give you the chance to explain things before running the check. Even if you don’t have a record, though, you may still be concerned about the check.

Can a fingerprint background check miss a conviction?

Employers would have to do more research to determine whether an arrest led to a conviction. As a result, a fingerprint background check might pull arrests that didn’t lead to convictions. It might miss records for crimes where fingerprints weren’t taken. Or it might pull up records relevant to the candidate.