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LosAngelesFingerprint.com is an educational resource dedicated to helping people understand fingerprinting, fingerprint quality, fingerprint identification, privacy, and the practical questions applicants ask every day.
One of the most common things we hear is also one of the least complete instructions:
“I was told I need fingerprints and a background check.”
That sounds simple. But from our side of the appointment, it usually leads to several important questions.
What kind of fingerprints? What kind of background check? Who is asking for it? What is the applicant trying to accomplish? Is this for employment, licensing, immigration, adoption, a visa, a record review, or something else?
Many applicants are surprised to learn that “fingerprints and a background check” is not always enough information to know what service they actually need.
Why This Gets Confusing
Fingerprinting instructions often pass through several people before they reach the applicant.
A licensing agency may send instructions to an attorney. The attorney may send them to a company. The company may send them to HR. HR may ask an assistant or business manager to schedule fingerprinting. By the time the applicant hears about it, the instruction may have been reduced to:
“Go get fingerprints.”
The person helping schedule the appointment is usually trying to be helpful. But they may not know the underlying purpose of the background check. They may not know which agency is requesting it. They may not know whether the applicant needs Live Scan, fingerprint cards, an FBI background check, a California DOJ background check, or something else entirely.
“Fingerprints” Is Not the Whole Instruction
Imagine someone needed to meet with an attorney and simply told the attorney, “I need legal help.”
The attorney would naturally ask questions before doing anything. What is the issue? Who is involved? What deadline exists? What outcome are you trying to achieve?
Fingerprinting works in a similar way. Before we can help someone complete the correct fingerprinting process, we need to understand why the fingerprints are being requested.
The fingerprints are only one part of the process. The destination of those fingerprints matters just as much.
Questions We Often Ask Before Fingerprinting
When someone says they need fingerprints and a background check, we may ask questions such as:
- Who told you to get fingerprinted?
- What are you applying for?
- Is this for a California agency?
- Is this for an FBI background check?
- Did someone give you a Request for Live Scan Service form?
- Do you need FD-258 fingerprint cards?
- Is this for employment, licensing, immigration, or international use?
- Is an attorney, employer, agency, or foreign government involved?
These questions are not meant to make the process harder. They are meant to prevent the wrong fingerprinting service from being performed.
Why Getting It Wrong Matters
If the wrong fingerprinting process is completed, the applicant may have to start over.
For example, someone may complete California Live Scan when the requesting agency actually needed FD-258 fingerprint cards. Someone else may obtain fingerprint cards when the agency required electronic Live Scan. Another applicant may request a California background check when their instructions actually require an FBI background check.
In each case, the fingerprints may have been taken correctly, but the process may still be wrong.
That is why determining the correct requirement before the appointment is so important.
Why We Sometimes Need to Speak With the Applicant Directly
Sometimes the person scheduling the appointment is not the person being fingerprinted.
That happens often with law offices, employers, executive assistants, business managers, HR departments, and family members.
There is nothing wrong with that. But if the scheduler does not know the purpose of the background check, we may need to speak directly with the applicant or review the instructions they received.
Our responsibility is not simply to take fingerprints. It is to help make sure the applicant receives the fingerprinting service that matches the actual requirement.
The Best Starting Point
If you were told you need fingerprints and a background check, the best thing you can do is gather the original instructions before scheduling.
Helpful information includes:
- The form you were given
- The name of the requesting agency
- The reason for the background check
- Any email or checklist you received
- Whether the instructions mention Live Scan, FBI, DOJ, FD-258, or fingerprint cards
Even one of these details can make the difference between choosing the correct service and having to redo the process later.
Final Thoughts
“I need fingerprints and a background check” is a starting point, not a complete instruction.
From our experience, the most important part of fingerprinting often happens before anyone places a finger on the scanner or card. It happens when we ask the questions needed to understand what the applicant actually needs.
That extra conversation can prevent delays, confusion, and unnecessary repeat appointments.
If you are trying to understand which fingerprinting process applies to your situation, Anshin Mobile Notary and Live Scan provides information about California Live Scan Fingerprinting, FBI Background Checks, and FD-258 Fingerprint Cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fingerprinting the same thing as a background check?
No. Fingerprinting is usually the method used to identify the applicant. The background check is the search performed by the agency or database after the fingerprints and identifying information are submitted.
How do I know what kind of fingerprints I need?
Start with the instructions from the agency, employer, attorney, licensing board, or organization requesting the background check. The form or checklist often determines whether you need Live Scan, fingerprint cards, an FBI background check, or another process.
What if I was only told to get fingerprints?
That is common, but it may not be enough information. Ask who is requesting the fingerprints, why they are required, and whether a specific form or submission method is required.
Can I just get fingerprinted first and figure it out later?
That can create problems. If the wrong fingerprinting process is completed, the applicant may have to redo the appointment and pay again. It is better to clarify the requirement first.
Why does the fingerprint technician ask so many questions?
An experienced fingerprint technician asks questions to help determine the correct process. The goal is to avoid completing the wrong type of fingerprinting for the applicant’s actual requirement.
What should I bring if I am not sure what I need?
Bring any form, email, checklist, agency instruction, attorney instruction, or employer communication you received. Even partial instructions can help identify the correct next step.
This article is part of What Your Background Check Actually Does, where we follow the submission after it leaves the scanner.
Also in this section: What a Fingerprint-Based Criminal History Check Looks For, What an ORI Code Actually Does and Why Your Employer Cannot Send You a Copy of Your Results.