​Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Criminal History Background Check

The Commonwealth contracts with IDEMIA (IdentoGo or MorphoTrust) for digital fingerprinting. You can register with IDEMIA and be fingerprinted at an IdentoGo site. The fingerprint-based background check is a multi-step process.

For questions about FBI clearances, contact the ChildLine Verification Unit at 717-783-6211 or 1-877-371-5422. For IDEMIA registration, processing, or billing questions, please contact IDEMIA/IdentoGo at 1-844-321-2101.

Cost

• $25.25 — Employees, Foster/Adoptive Parents
• $23.25 — Volunteers
  

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Fingerprinting Process

You can register for an appointment to be fingerprinted two ways:

• Online: Go to www.Identogo.com
• Telephone: Call 1-844-321-2101 and listen to the options menu.

When you, your employee or volunteer register, please be ready to provide a service code. If you need assistance in determining the appropriate service code, please contact the Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) at RA-PWCPSLQuestions@pa.gov. Once the appropriate service code is obtained, provide the code to the volunteer or employee so they can register. Please note that the DHS Volunteer service code would include all volunteer services. It is titled "DHS" because it is a Department of Human Services Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) requirement.

All applicants will also need to refer to the list of acceptable identification documents. Applicants must present one of the identification documents at the Idemia fingerprinting location.

Appointments are not required when you register, you may walk‐in during a location's posted hours of operation, but scheduling an appointment may lead to lesser/no wait times. In order to preregister for a FBI background check and/or find a fingerprinting location, applicants should access the IDEMIA website. It is strongly encouraged that the employee or volunteer contact the site prior to going there as the information on the IDEMIA website may differ from actual hours of operation.

Minors Requiring FBI Digital Fingerprinting

If a minor applicant does not have acceptable identification at the time of the fingerprinting appointment they must present:

• The Pennsylvania Photo ID Waiver for Minors form; AND
• One of the listed identification documents for the minor (listed in the waiver), which includes: 
• Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the appropriate Bureau of Vital Statistics or equivalent agency from a U.S. state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or a Canadian province. A birth record issued by a hospital is not acceptable under this category;
  
• Original or certified copy of a U.S Department of State Certification of Birth Abroad issued to U.S citizens born abroad (Form FS‐240, DS‐1350, or FS‐545);
  
• Original or certified copy of court order with name and date of birth indicating an official change of name and/or gender from a U.S. state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Canadian providence; or
  
• Social Security Card (actual card).
  

Department of Education

If you need a clearance for the purposes of working or volunteering for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please contact them for the appropriate service codes. You may e-mail them at RA-PDE-SCHOOLSERVICE@pa.gov. The Pennsylvania Department of Education also utilizes Idemia to complete digital fingerprinting for the FBI Criminal History clearance for prospective employees of public and private schools. Under Act 114 of 2006, ALL prospective school employees, school contractors and student teachers are to use the Pennsylvania Department of Education system. This includes but is not limited to: Teachers, School Administrators, Substitute Teachers, Teaching Assistants, PIAA Sports Officials, School Bus Drivers, and Student Teachers. For more information regarding Act 114, and background check requirements for public schools, private schools and student teachers go to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website or email the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Payment Process

Employees or volunteers are required to pay for fingerprinting at the time of service. If an employer is paying, an authorization code must be provided; otherwise the employee or volunteer will be required to pay out of pocket. If an employer wishes to set up a payment agreement with IDEMIA/IdentoGo/Morphotrust, please scroll down to the end of the page titled, "IDEMIA Payment Option" for more information.

If you are an organization or agency accessing this site to inquire about remaining or becoming a Commonwealth affiliate fingerprinting site, or questions surrounding equipment, please note the following important information:

If you would like your location to remain a commonwealth-affiliated fingerprinting site or become a fingerprint site, please visit www.identogo.com/partners.

• At the bottom of that page is a link to their Partner Inquiry Form. 
• Express interest by providing IDEMIA with your business' information. Your inquiry will go to their partner team for follow up. Public and private agreements are considered. 
• If there is no need in your specific area, you will receive an email letting you know IDEMIA will hold onto your information until a need arises. 
• IDEMIA has a process in place for approving locations and equipment. For more information, visit www.identogo.com or call 844-321-2101.

IDEMIA Payment Option — No Charge Authorization Code (NCAC)

IDEMIA offers employers the option to pay for digital fingerprinting services using an NCAC Agreement. Interested employers must go to the website at: IdentoGo.com to find, complete, and submit the Idemia NCAC Agreement. This agreement is backed by a credit card, which must be provided at time of account setup.  The account must be established prior to sending applicants to the fingerprint site.

Questions

If you have additional questions, please contact IDEMIA by phone, toll free at (844) 321-2101.

Effective: October 31, 2022

DHS Identogo Applicants Receiving Electronic Results

This opportunity only applies to results with no record. During the registration process applicants will be asked for an email address and will be asked to create a security question and a security answer.  It is very important that once the user creates the security question and answer that they retain this information. Three unsuccessful logins will prevent the applicant from retrieving their results electronically. In order to prevent any unauthorized release of information their security information cannot be reset.  

Shortly after their fingerprints have been taken and a result can be provided, they will receive an email. They will be advised to click on the link within the email and enter the security question and answer.  If they lock themselves out of the security question and answer the result will be transmitted by US Mail.  Current Mailing timelines take 7-10 business days to reach the intended destination.  

When the applicant does access the results, it is important that they be able to download it, save it and print it for future needs. There will be no second access to this electronic result.

Additionally, if they registered for fingerprints on August 30, 2022, or after and used the purpose type of employee 14 years of age or older and having contact with children they will receive their result via email notification.  An email notification will only be received after September 21, 2022, if they provided an email address and created a security question and answer.  

If any result has a record associated with it, those results will not be electronically available and can only be transmitted by US Mail. Current mailing timelines take at least 7-10 business days to reach the intended destination.  

All results will still be transmitted by US Mail to all applicants.

 Suspect Child Abuse? Call Childline: 1-800-932-0313