How to Get a Fingerprint Card

Fingerprints are exlusive to every human.

Fingerprinting is a required part of a criminal history background check. The process involves capturing the image of the ridge formation on the pads of a person's fingers. The manual process of capturing the prints requires ink and a fingerprint card. Fingerprint cards are available from various companies at no charge. They are based on the FBI's FD-258 Applicant Card.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock paper, 60- to 80-lb. weight

Instructions

1. Obtain a fingerprint card from the organization requesting your fingerprints. Companies that require fingerprints as part of a background check often supply the cards.

2. Download a fingerprint card from the Internet. Various organizations provide fingerprint forms on their website, like the U.S. Scouting Service Project (see Resources). Print the cards on 60- to 80-lb. card stock paper.

3. Order fingerprint cards from the FBI (see Resources). This option is available to agencies with an Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number. The FBI supplies the cards in boxes of 2,000 each, and the agencies may order as many as they need.

4. Purchase the cards from retailers. Fingerprint cards are available from online retailers such as Dactek International, Hitt Marking Devices and Evident Crime Scene Products (see Resources).

References

• FBI: Recording Legible Fingerprints

Resources

• U.S. Scouting Service Project: Fingerprint Card
• FBI: Ordering of Fingerprint Cards and Training Aids
• Dactek International: Download Cards
• Hitt Marking Devices: Download Cards
• Evident Crime Scene Products: Download Cards