This is a common requirement to go along with your work visa, or even just for the company you’ll be working for. It’s sad, really, that this world needs such proof but alas. This post will outline what you need to do, where you need to go, and how much you’ll have to spend in order to get an official FBI Identification Record (most commonly known as your Criminal History Record). The details of this post will be assuming you’re coming from the USA, so if you’re coming from somewhere else, I’m not sure how much use this will be. Anyway, here goes…
COST
(Please keep in mind that the costs listed below pertain to my own personal experience, and they may be different for you according to where you live)
Fingerprints - $15
Certified Check to the Treasury of the United States - $18
Certified Check Fee (some, if not all, banks will charge a flat fee for printing certified checks) - $6
UPS Ground Shipment - $10
Total Cost: $49
WHAT TO DO
1. Fill out the cover letter form supplied by the FBI: http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/hq/cjisd/cover_letter.pdf
2. Get your fingerprints taken on a FD-258 form. I went to the City County Bureau of Identification (CCBI), close to where I live; however, I’m sure it depends on where you live. Do a google search for Bureau of Identification with your city name and see if it comes up with any results. You can also call your local Police station; they should be able to tell you where to go.
3. Get a money order or certified check made payable to the Treasury of the United States. The amount should be $18.
4. Package everything together in an envelope and send it to the following address:
FBI CJIS Division - Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
EXPEDITING YOUR REQUEST
I’ve heard from plenty of people that although the CJIS Division does not officially expedite requests, they will often work within your time frame should you request a deadline. Simply include the date in your cover letter with your reason, and then also write the same date and reason on the outside of your envelope. There is, however, no guarantee.
OTHER OPTIONS ONLINE AND OTHERWISE
Before you came to this post, you may have searched online for other means of retrieving your criminal record. I know I did. In my search, I came across countless options for getting a background check or criminal record. A lot of them were instant, required no extra paperwork, and were sometimes cheaper. I decided to go the official route and I’m glad I did. When I went to the CCBI office, there was a kind lady at the front desk who told me I was in the right place. I asked why, and she replied, “There are lots of private companies and online venues that offer criminal history records, but they normally use search engines to retrieve their results. They can be very unreliable and often times they can confuse you with an axe murder from a completely different state.” Yes, that’s right folks…axe. murderer. haha. Chances are, you probably won’t get confused with an axe murderer, but nevertheless, it’s better (and safer) to just take a half day off work and do it the right way. Get your fingerprints, and wait a few weeks.
STILL NEED HELP?
If you’re still struggling with what to do and where to go, please comment on this post and I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction. First, though, you might want to look at the following website: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm. It outlines everything I’ve said in this post, and it’s straight from the horse’s mouth. Good luck!
