Live Scan Fingerprinting for Criminal Background Check

Criminal background check, as the name implies, is the process of checking past records of an individual for any criminal or unlawful activity. Criminal history background check can be crucial to scrutinize potential incidents that may pose risk to people, assets or resources.

For example, in many jobs, criminal background check for employment in a mandatory process before an individual can be hired on a certain position. Employment types that include custody of financial assets, selling insurance, old age homes, child care, healthcare, etc. that give an individual access to vulnerable population or resources, requires a criminal history background check.

Law enforcement is the first and the oldest application of fingerprint biometrics and its history dates back to 19th century. Fingerprint biometrics in law enforcement applications has been used for the identification of criminals, crime scene investigations, forensics, criminal history background check, criminal background check for employment, etc. Background check with fingerprints is considered superior than background checks with dimorphic details.

Local, state as well as national level law enforcement agencies maintain criminal history records of their jurisdiction. These criminal history records or “rap sheet”, as it is generally referred to, include all incidents of arrests and prosecutions. Law enforcement agencies have been using fingerprint biometrics to maintain criminal history records.

Using dimorphic information such as name, date of birth, address, etc. have proved to be inefficient as it may lead to errors and redundancy. Criminal history records associated with fingerprints work like a single key to confirm positive identity of an individual.

Since the law enforcement agencies are the custodian of criminal history records, they offer criminal background check services for civil purposes such as employment, licensure, etc. People can submit their fingerprints to the law enforcement agency concerned and the agency will return your rap sheet as per their service delivery schedule.

Requirement of criminal history background check is usually generated from the organization or company that needs it. For example, your employer may require you to go through criminal history background check before hiring you, which is provided to a third party criminal history background check service provider. These third party service providers have all necessary equipment to live scan your fingerprints and to submit your application for criminal background check online.

The process of criminal background check may search national, federal, and/or state databases to report information about a candidate’s criminal history, such as violent crimes, criminal convictions, sex crimes, felony convictions and any pending criminal cases.