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Available Services

Obtaining Your Identity History Summary

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.

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Challenge Your National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)-Related Denial (Includes Firearms)

To challenge your NICS-Related denial, you must provide either a NICS Transaction Number (NTN), which is a unique number assigned to each valid NICS-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 NICS-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 NICS-related background check and request the applicable identifier.

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Challenging Your Identity History Summary

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.

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Applying For The NICS Voluntary Appeal File (VAF)

Some individuals may find they are continuously delayed when purchasing or redeeming firearms. Others may successfully challenge a NICS-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.

A current fingerprint card is required for a VAF request.

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