FAQs

A Live Scan is a method of fingerprinting or palmprinting that uses electronics rather than the traditional method of rolling your fingertips through ink. The prints are sent to the California Department of Justice or the FBI within seconds via computer, which means information about the prints can be received within 24 to 48 hours. This is exponentially quicker than ink fingerprints that can take a longer time to capture and process.

Many organizations need to ensure that people they bring in either as employees or volunteers do not have a criminal record. Checking to see whether they have a criminal record can be done quickly with Live Scan fingerprinting. Other uses include when an individual applies for a license or certification that requires a clean background check.

The results of a Live Scan fingerprinting or palmprinting are compiled into a report that includes all or part of your Summary Criminal History Record and/or your Federal Record if you have one. Your criminal history is the record kept by the California Department of Justice and includes criminal activity at the state level such as charges, arrests, dispositions, identifying information that includes fingerprints, convictions, dismissals, jail or prison status and the history of any applications you’ve made to acquire a license. A federal record is compiled from federal level courts which means the criminal activity crossed state lines.

A Live Scan report can also be flagged so the person or organization that requests it is notified if you are arrested after the initial report is pulled.

You will need to bring these items to the Live Scan appointment:

• completed Form BCII 8016 (Request for Live Scan Service)
• social security number
• valid photo identification (see below for DOJ approved documents)
  • California Driver’s License
  • Out-of-state Driver’s License
  • California DMV ID Card
  • Alien Registration/Immigration Green Card
  • Military ID Card
  • Passport

Live Scans do not give false positives since they go beyond the information used in commercial background checks such as your name, birthdate and demographics.

In addition, Live Scans have the capability of directly connecting to both your California state criminal history record as well as your federal criminal history which means Live Scans are far more substantive and accurate than a traditional background check. A Live Scan reports all or part of your Summary Criminal History Record, and can also include your Federal Record.

Please be aware that an application for Live Scan service can be rejected if the BCII 8016 form is incomplete or improperly filled out. Neither Alliance Live Scan nor the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the FBI issues refunds or permits you to resubmit the form if you’ve used improper processing codes or it was not completely filled out, so it is crucial that you contact the agency that sent you to be fingerprinted. Get the proper codes from them along with any other information you are lacking before you arrive for your Live Scan appointment. If your application for a Live Scan service gets rejected due to missing or erroneous codes, another fee is assessed to repeat the Live Scan application process and fingerprinting.

It’s important to understand that it is your responsibility to have a properly filled out Live Scan Request on the day of your appointment.

The Department of Justice requires that you provide your social security number. If you do not, the Live Scan Operator will not be able to provide you with the service. The (DOJ) has strict policies and procedures both for the scan and for the care and safety of applicants’ personal information. Alliance Live Scan must adhere to them.

Alliance Live Scan systems and forms are stored in a safe, locked area. Fingerprint records may not remain on a Live Scan system more than 30 days, so after a designated period of time, the expired forms must and will be shredded and then disposed of.

Alliance Live Scan charges a fee for the service of capturing your fingerprints digitally and transmitting them to the Department of Justice. This service fee is called a rolling fee.

The answer is yes for two reasons. First, legally, your privacy must be protected. The law states that applicant background information cannot be shared with other organizations, companies or agencies. Secondly, there is no fingerprint record to share since the Department of Justice deletes it once the results of your background check are sent to the referring agency.

Yes. You can request a Personal Criminal Record Review from the California DOJ, and/or an FBI Identity Summary Background Check by using Live Scan fingerprinting. While the DOJ and FBI charge a fee to process this request, a copy of the information will be either mailed or emailed to you.

If an applicant’s fingerprints are difficult to capture due to things like calluses, scars, cuts or cracks, they may not be clear. Therefore, the prints will get rejected. If this occurs, Alliance Live Scan will re-take the applicant’s fingerprints at no additional cost.

Bring your original Live Scan form and the rejection letter from the DOJ. The letter contains your ATI (Applicant Transmission Identifier) number which you will need to resubmit. Alliance Live Scan will prepare your re-submission record at no charge if your record was rejected for poor fingerprint quality or the Alliance Live Scan fingerprint technician made an error during your previous scan.

The policy of the California Department of Justice is to maintain criminal records until the person turns 100 years old. Therefore, a conviction cannot be removed from a Live Scan background check unless the person receives a pardon or the record is sealed or expunged.

But keep in mind that in California, expungement changes the conviction to a dismissal rather than removing the activity completely. Even though the dismissal is on your record, however, most referring agencies cannot see dismissed cases unless they are contracting with the California State Lottery or processing a state or local licensing application. So, if someone wants to clean up their record in preparation of getting a Live Scan done as they enter a new career path, expungements can be effective.

Something else that can help clean up a record is getting a felony offense reduced to a misdemeanor which means the felony conviction won’t show on the Live Scan.

This may be required to obtain a copy of your criminal history record from another state or another country, to obtain a copy of your criminal history record sent directly to you by the FBI. This is particularly helpful for those individuals applying for immigration or work visas or adjustment of status. To obtain an out-of-state professional license such as licenses to practice law, nursing, and other professions.

A notary public is a public officer appointed by the Secretary of the State, whose function is to administer oaths; to take acknowledgments of deeds & other instruments. A notary manages and witnesses’ signatures on official documents. They verify the identity of the individuals signing the documents and check to make sure they're signing without any pressure or intimidation. They are impartial and their work helps to prevent fraud.