Can I Get Fingerprints Done in a Different State?

You can almost always get your fingerprints done in a different state from the one requiring them. What varies is the method. If the agency asking for your prints accepts an ink card, any police department or private fingerprinting service in the country can capture them and you mail the card yourself. If the agency requires an electronic Live Scan submission, things get more complicated, because Live Scan systems are usually locked to a single state’s network. Before you book anything, call or email the requesting agency and ask exactly what they accept from out-of-state applicants.

Start With the Requesting Agency

Every decision downstream depends on three pieces of information only the requesting agency can give you: the format they accept (ink card, Live Scan, or either), the ORI number that routes your results, and the address or electronic destination where the prints need to go.

The ORI, or Originating Agency Identifier, is a nine-character code the FBI’s CJIS Division assigns to each agency that receives background check results. Without it on your card, your submission gets rejected before anyone examines the prints themselves.¹ Many agencies also maintain a list of approved vendors; using one that isn’t on the list can void the submission even if the prints are perfect.

Ink Cards Cross State Lines. Live Scan Usually Doesn’t.

Fingerprints are captured one of two ways. Live Scan uses a digital scanner and transmits the prints electronically to the requesting agency. Ink cards use the traditional method, rolling your fingers in ink and pressing them onto a physical card, typically the FD-258 form used by federal agencies including the FBI.²

Live Scan produces cleaner images and faster results, but each state’s criminal justice agency controls which Live Scan vendors can transmit into its systems. A terminal in Texas can send prints to the Texas Department of Public Safety without issue. It generally cannot connect to California’s Department of Justice or Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement. Some states authorize a limited number of out-of-state vendors. Others require you to visit an in-state site.

If you’re applying for something like a professional license in a state you don’t live in, and that state mandates Live Scan, you generally have two choices. Travel there, or ask the licensing board whether they will take an ink card from an out-of-state applicant. Most boards deal with this constantly and have a process for it.

Card Conversion When Neither Option Fits

There’s a middle path for the awkward case where an agency won’t accept a mailed ink card but you can’t reach an authorized Live Scan location. Some fingerprinting companies offer card conversion: you mail in a completed ink card, they scan it into their Live Scan system, and they transmit it electronically to the requesting agency. Confirm with the agency that they accept converted cards before you pay, because not every agency recognizes the process.

FBI Background Checks From Out of State

If the check runs through the FBI rather than a state agency, the interstate problem largely disappears. The FBI maintains a list of approved channelers, private companies authorized to collect fingerprints and submit them directly to the FBI.³ Many channelers operate locations in multiple states, so wherever you are, one is usually reachable.

Channelers are the common route for an FBI Identity History Summary check, which is the personal background check people request for employment, immigration, or adoption. The FBI charges $18. You can go through a channeler, use a participating U.S. Post Office location for electronic submission, or mail a completed FD-258 to the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.⁴ Electronic submissions process faster than mailed cards.

Immigration Prints Are Different

USCIS biometrics don’t fit any of this. When USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment, it assigns you to a specific Application Support Center, and the prints must be captured there. Private fingerprinting companies and law enforcement offices cannot substitute, because USCIS runs its own internal system.

If the assigned ASC is far from where you actually live, you can visit the ASC closest to you on a walk-in basis before your scheduled date. Bring the appointment notice and explain the situation. Walk-in waits tend to run longer than scheduled ones.

Where to Actually Go

Once you know the format, the requesting agency’s ORI, and where the prints need to be sent, you can pick a location.

Local police departments and sheriff’s offices commonly fingerprint the public for a modest fee. Some only serve local residents or require appointments, so call ahead.
Private fingerprinting companies usually have more flexible hours and shorter waits, and many offer both Live Scan and ink cards.
Participating U.S. Post Office locations can capture and submit prints electronically for FBI Identity History Summary checks.⁴
FBI-approved channelers handle capture and submission in one step for FBI background checks.³

What to Bring to the Appointment

Bring at least two forms of identification, with at least one government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport.⁵ Some agencies are stricter and require unexpired, REAL ID-compliant documents.⁶ Check what your specific check calls for, because the appointment cannot happen without proper ID.

If you’re using an ink card, several fields must be filled in or the card is rejected on sight: full name with no abbreviations, date of birth, sex, the ORI number, the reason for fingerprinting, and the fingerprint impressions themselves. Entries must be printed legibly or typed in black or blue ink and must stay within the boundaries of each field box.¹

Sending the Prints In

With Live Scan, the vendor transmits your prints and gives you a transaction control number. You generally don’t need to do anything else.

With an ink card, the responsibility is yours. Confirm every required field is complete, the card is signed where needed, and the ORI is correct. Package the card flat so it isn’t bent in transit, mail it to the exact address the requesting agency gave you, and use a trackable method. A card lost in the mail means starting over.

If Your Prints Are Rejected

Rejections happen more often than people expect, and they sting most when you traveled or paid extra to get printed out of state. Common causes are faint ridge detail, smudged impressions, fingers placed in the wrong blocks, and missing required data. A card with flawless prints but a blank ORI field is rejected as quickly as one with unreadable impressions.¹

Usually you get reprinted and resubmit. There’s no shortcut. One exception: if the FBI rejects your prints twice for image quality, you become eligible for a name-based background check. The requesting agency must submit a Name Check request to the FBI CJIS Division within 90 days of the second rejection.⁷ This fallback exists because some people, particularly older adults and those who work with their hands, simply don’t produce prints that capture cleanly.

You can improve your odds. Moisturize in the days before your appointment but skip lotion the day of, wash your hands beforehand, let the technician control the roll instead of pressing hard yourself, and mention any past rejections so the operator can adjust technique.⁸¹ Heavy cleaning, gardening, or construction shortly before the appointment temporarily wears down ridge detail, so schedule around it if you can.

1
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Guidelines for Preparation of Fingerprint Cards and Associated Criminal History Information
2
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Recording Legible Fingerprints
3
Federal Bureau of Investigation. List of Approved Channelers
4
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
5
Administration for Children & Families. Acceptable Forms of ID for Fieldprint Fingerprinting Appointments
6
General Services Administration. Bring Required Documents
7
Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI Name Checks for Fingerprint Submissions Rejected Twice Due to Image Quality
8
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Civil Fingerprint Image Quality Strategy Guide