How to Obtain a 10 Year Federal Background Check
You might need to obtain a federal background check for several reasons, including as a requirement for school, employment, adoption or travel. A 10-year federal background check requires that you make a request in writing, provide a copy of your fingerprints and send it to the FBI with a certified check or money order.
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Instructions
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To obtain a copy of your federal criminal record for a federal background check you need to write a letter explaining why you need the background check. The FBI website provides a sample letter (bi.gov/hq/cjisd/cover_letter.pdf) but you can just use that as a guide to write your own letter.
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You will need to send fingerprints with your request. Most police departments will "roll" your fingerprints by inking your fingers and rolling them onto a fingerprint form. Although it is not required that your prints be taken by a police department, it is tricky to get a usable set if it is not done by somebody with fingerprint training, so having it done at the police station is worth the time and effort. You can download the form for fingerprints from the FBI website (See Resources).
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You must include a certified check (not a personal check), money order or credit card authorization for $18 with the letter and fingerprints. If you want to pay with a credit card, you need to download and print the form from the FBI website.
Send the payment with your letter and the fingerprint form to the FBI office:
FBI CJIS Division -- Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306 -
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It takes between eight and 10 weeks for the FBI to process your request. If you need your background check completed sooner than that, be sure to note that in your letter as well as on the outside of the envelope.
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Tips & Warnings
The Federal Background Check will include any arrest and conviction that is included in their database. This may go back beyond 10 years. If you only want records for the past 10 years, you should include that request in your cover letter.
You can only obtain a federal background check for yourself. If you need to obtain a background check for somebody else, like an employee, you should go through the process set up for your state for employee background checks. Also note, some employers will not accept a federal background check and will require a different process. Be sure to check with your employer or potential employer to determine whether the company will accept a self-obtained federal background check.
