What is a criminal/fingerprint background check?

What Is a Fingerprint Background Check?

• Answer:

  A fingerprint background check is generally performed by public agencies or companies doing business in the public sector, although private businesses are increasingly relying on fingerprints as a pre-employment condition. Most public agencies, such as school districts and law enforcement agencies, are mandated by state or federal law to perform a fingerprint check. The Applicant Civilian fingerprint checks are required for any person who works with children, ranging from teachers and school support personnel to community youth sports coaches. Database Fingerprints taken from an individual are compared to a national law enforcement fingerprint database containing millions of fingerprints taken from criminals and workers over the decades. AFIS The database is the FBI's Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS, which searches for fingerprints from many sources, including criminal records, driver's license applications and previous jobs that required fingerprint identification. Weapons Permit Most states require a fingerprint background check for persons seeking a concealed weapon permit and require the individual to obtain a fingerprint card or scan at a local police department. WebCheck Most fingerprints today are taken on an Internet-based program, such as WebCheck, that can take as little as 24 hours for results to be returned if the individual has no criminal record. Cards Obsolete With the growing popularity and efficiency of Internet-based fingerprint scans, the traditional fingerprint card is being phased out.