Fingerprinting — do it early, here’s why
Most state boards require a criminal background check based on your fingerprints. It’s a step you can often start in parallel with your credential evaluation — and doing it early prevents it from becoming the thing that holds up your license at the end.
Why early?
Background checks can take weeks, results sometimes have a validity window, and from outside the US the ink-card-by-mail route is slow. Starting early means a clean check is already on file when the rest of your application is ready.
How it works
- •In the US: electronic capture (Live Scan), often through a vendor like IdentoGO using a state-specific service code your board provides.
- •Outside the US: usually ink fingerprint cards mailed in, since Live Scan may not be available — this adds shipping time, so plan ahead.
- •Checks are typically run against both state and federal (FBI) records.
Avoid these mistakes
- ⚠️ Using the wrong service code or sending results to the wrong agency — get the exact code from your board.
- ⚠️ Smudged ink cards getting rejected — follow the instructions precisely; a rejected card means starting over.
- ⚠️ Waiting until the end and discovering the results expired or take longer than the rest of your file.
Official sources
Your state board’s page is the authority on the exact vendor, service code, and whether the check applies to your address.
Last verified June 2026. Confirm the current process with your state board.