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Overview

For a fee, the FBI can provide individuals with an Identity History Summary, often referred to as a criminal history record or a "rap sheet," listing certain information taken from fingerprint submissions kept by the FBI and related to arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service.

If the fingerprint submissions are related to an arrest, the Identity History Summary includes the name of the agency that submitted the fingerprints to the FBI, the date of the arrest, the arrest charge, and the disposition of the arrest, if known. All arrest information included in an Identity History Summary is obtained from fingerprint submissions, disposition reports, and other information submitted by authorized criminal justice agencies.

The U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73, also known as Departmental Order, establishes rules and regulations for you to obtain a copy of your Identity History Summary for review or proof that one does not exist.

Under federal law, you can use your Identity History Summary to review, correct, or update your own personal record. Identity History Summaries should not be used for employment or licensing. Questions regarding employment or licensing background checks should be directed to the State Identification Bureau for the state in which the background check is required.

Obtaining Your Identity History Summary

Identity History Summary Checks for Employment or Licensing

If you are requesting a background check for employment or licensing within the U.S., you may be required by state statute or federal law to submit your request through your state identification bureau, the requesting federal agency, or another authorized channeling agency.

The FBI's authority to conduct an Identity History Summary check for noncriminal justice purposes is based upon Public Law (Pub. L.) 92-544. Pursuant to that law, the FBI is empowered to exchange Identity History Summary information with officials of state and local governments for employment, licensing — which includes volunteers — and other similar noncriminal justice purposes, if authorized by a state statute which has been approved by the Attorney General of the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice has advised that the state statute establishing guidelines for a category of employment or the issuance of a license must, in itself, require fingerprinting and authorize the governmental licensing or employing agency to exchange fingerprint data directly with the FBI.

An Identity History Summary search obtained pursuant to U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 may not meet employment requirements. Governmental licensing or employing agencies covered by federal laws and/or state statutes may refuse to accept Identity History Summary information directly from the subject of the summary, as there would be no way to verify that the information contained on the summary had not been altered. Also, an Identity History Summary provided to the subject for personal review contains only information maintained by the FBI and may lack dispositional data and/or arrest records that are maintained only at the state level.

You should contact the agency requiring the fingerprinting or the appropriate state identification bureau for the correct procedures to follow.

How to Submit a Request

An e-mail address must be provided in order to initiate the application process. A secure link, along with a personal identification number, will be sent to the specified address and will be used to complete the online application. The same secure link and personal identification number will be used to check the status of your application and to access your results. You may optionally elect to have your results sent to you by First-Class Mail via the U.S. Postal Service.

Please select each step below to view additional information. Enter your e-mail address below to start the Identity History Summary Check process.

Step 1: Complete the Applicant Information Form

You must complete all mandatory fields (indicated in red) to proceed with your request.

Step 2: Select Your Preferences

You must select your preferences regarding response and status notifications.

Step 3: Submit Your Fingerprints

If you submit a request electronically directly to the FBI, you may visit a participating U.S. Post Office location to submit your fingerprints electronically as part of your request. You may go to any of the {{systemStatus.uspsTplLocations}} participating U.S. Post Office locations nationwide upon completion of your request. Additional fees may apply.

If you submit a request electronically directly to the FBI, you may also choose to mail your completed fingerprint card along with a copy of your confirmation email to:
FBI CJIS Division
ATTN: ELECTRONIC SUMMARY REQUEST
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
  • The FBI will process your request upon receipt of your completed fingerprint card in the date order it was received.
  • Your fingerprints should be placed on a standard fingerprint form (FD-1164) commonly used for applicant or law enforcement purposes. The FBI will accept FD-1164 fingerprint cards on standard white paper stock.
  • You must provide a current fingerprint card. Previously processed cards or copies will not be accepted.
  • Your name and date of birth must be provided on the fingerprint card.
  • You must include rolled impressions of all 10 fingerprints and impressions of all 10 fingerprints taken at the same time (these are sometimes referred to as plain or flat impressions). If possible, have your fingerprints taken by a fingerprinting technician. This service may be available at a law enforcement agency. Note: The FBI recommends that red or purple ink not be used for fingerprinting.
  • Fingerprints taken with ink or via live scan are acceptable. If your fingerprints are taken via a live scan device, a hard-copy must be generated so the fingerprint card can be mailed to the FBI.
  • To ensure the most legible prints possible, refer to the Recording Legible Fingerprints page. If fingerprints are not legible, the fingerprint card will be rejected. This could cause delays in processing and could also result in additional fees.
  • The name on your response letter will match the name that you entered on your electronic DO request.
  • If the last four digits of your Social Security number are needed on your response letter, then please ensure the full nine-digit or last four digits of your Social Security number is on the fingerprint card when submitting your request.
  • For more information, visit the Biometric Training -> Recording Friction Ridges (e-Learning Module) website.
Step 4: Submit Payment

Payment by credit card will be accepted, as well as payment via PayPal and Amazon accounts. You will be redirected to another secure site to complete the payment process.

Step 5: Review and Confirm Your Request

A confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail provided on the request. Please retain a copy of the confirmation for your records. You will need it to check the status of your request and to access your results.

Step 6: Check Request Status

You must use the original confirmation email, which includes a secure link and pin, to check the status of your request.

Step 7: Receive Your Results

There are two options to receive your results: 1) E-mail with a secure link and personal identification number or 2) First-Class Mail via the U.S. Postal Service, if requested. You will need your original confirmation e-mail to access your results.

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Challenging Your Identity History Summary, Your Firearm-Related Denial

or Applying For The Voluntary Appeal File (VAF)

The FBI is responsible for the storage of fingerprints and related Identity History Summary information for the nation and does not have the authority to modify any Identity History Summary information unless specifically notified to do so by the agency that owns the information. If you believe your Identity History Summary contains inaccurate or incomplete information, you may request a change or correction to your Identity History Summary information.
Challenge Your Identity History Summary: To challenge your Identity History Summary, you must provide either your FBI Universal Control Number (FBI Number) from your Identity History Summary or your State Identification Number (SID) from your state criminal history record. If providing your SID, you must include the two-letter state abbreviation for the state in which your offense occurred. Please select each step below to view additional information. Enter your e-mail address below to start the challenge process.
Challenge Your Firearm-Related Denial: To challenge your firearm-related denial, you must provide either a NICS Transaction Number (NTN), which is a unique number assigned to each valid firearm-related background check inquiry received by the FBI; or a State Transaction Number (STN), which is a unique number assigned by a State Point of Contact to a valid firearm-related background check inquiry. If you are not already in possession of your NTN or STN, you must contact the Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) or state agency who initiated your firearm-related background check and request the applicable identifier. Please select each step below to view additional information. Enter your e-mail address below to start the challenge process. Click here for more information on requesting the reason(s) for your firearm-related denial or challenging your firearm-related denial.
Voluntary Appeal File: Some individuals may find they are continuously delayed when purchasing or redeeming firearms. Others may successfully challenge a firearm-related denial, but still experience extended delays or erroneous denials on subsequent transactions. The VAF was established to assist in these types of situations by providing a way for an individual to request that the FBI maintain information to clarify their identity or past events to prevent future extended delays or erroneous denials on firearm transfers.

Note: No documentation or fingerprint cards will be returned after completion of your request.

Step 1: Complete the Challenge Information Form or VAF Application

Your online Challenge should clearly identify the information on your Identity History Summary that you feel is inaccurate or incomplete.

If submitting a VAF Application, you will need to provide your fingerprints before the application can be processed.

Step 2: Select Your Preferences

You must select your preferences regarding response and status notifications.

Step 3: Submit Your Fingerprints to Challenge Your Firearm-Related Denial or apply for the VAF

To assist in determining if you are or are not the same person in comparison to the record used in the evaluation of your firearm-related check, you may send your fingerprints along with your request.

Note: Fingerprints are required when applying for the VAF.

If you submit a request electronically directly to the FBI, you may visit a participating U.S. Post Office location to submit your fingerprints electronically as part of your request. You may go to any of the {{systemStatus.uspsTplLocations}} participating U.S. Post Office locations nationwide upon completion of your request. Additional fees may apply.

You may also choose to mail your completed fingerprint card along with a copy of your confirmation email to:
FBI CJIS Division
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Section
Post Office Box 4278
Clarksburg, WV 26306-9922
  • The FBI will process your request upon receipt of your completed fingerprint card in the date order it was received.
  • Your fingerprints should be placed on a standard fingerprint form (FD-258) commonly used for applicant or law enforcement purposes. The FBI will accept FD-258 fingerprint cards on standard white paper stock.
  • You must provide a current fingerprint card.
  • Your name, date of birth, signature of person fingerprinted, an Originating Agency Identifier number along with the legible signature of the official taking the fingerprints, or the agency’s identifying information, must be provided on the fingerprint card.
  • You must include rolled impressions of all 10 fingerprints and impressions of all 10 fingerprints taken at the same time (these are sometimes referred to as plain or flat impressions). If possible, have your fingerprints taken by a fingerprinting technician. This service may be available at a law enforcement agency.
  • Fingerprints taken with ink or via live scan are acceptable. If your fingerprints are taken via a live scan device, a hard-copy must be generated so the fingerprint card can be mailed to the FBI.
  • To ensure the most legible prints possible, refer to the Recording Legible Fingerprints page. If fingerprints are not legible, the fingerprint card will be rejected. This could cause delays in processing and could also result in additional fees.
  • The name on your response letter will match the name that you entered on your Firearm-Related Denial or VAF request.
Step 4: Upload Supporting Documents

You should include available proof or supporting documentation to support your claim. For example, if your disposition information is incorrect or missing, you may submit documentation obtained from the court having control over the arrest or the office prosecuting the offense. The FBI will contact appropriate agencies in an attempt to verify or correct challenged entries for you. Upon receipt of an official communication from the agency with control over the data, the FBI will make appropriate changes and notify you of the outcome. You may upload documents in the following formats: jpg, jpeg, png, bmp, doc, docx, txt, pdf, xls, and xlsx.

Note: For firearm-related challenges, the FBI may be unable to complete additional research that could impact your status decision unless a completed fingerprint card and/or documentation you feel may be beneficial is provided.

Step 5: Review and Confirm Your Request

A confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail provided on the request. Please retain a copy of the confirmation for your records. You will need it to check the status of your request and to access your results.

Step 6: Check Request Status

You may use the original confirmation e-mail to check the status of your request.

Step 7: Receive Your Results

There are two options to receive your results: 1) E-mail with a secure link and personal identification number or 2) First-Class Mail via the U.S. Postal Service, if requested. You will need the original confirmation e-mail to access your results.

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