How to Get FBI Fingerprinting Through Live Scan in Los Angeles

If a Los Angeles employer, licensing board or foreign consulate has told you to get FBI fingerprinting, they are asking for one of two things. Either a California agency needs your fingerprints sent through Live Scan to the California Department of Justice (DOJ), which can forward them to the FBI, or you need your own FBI background check, officially called an Identity History Summary, mailed or emailed back to you. The fingerprinting itself takes about 15 minutes either way. Choosing the wrong route is what costs people weeks.

This guide explains how Live Scan fingerprinting in Los Angeles works from start to finish: which check you need, how to read the BCIA 8016 form, what the DOJ and FBI fees are, what a Live Scan background check actually shows, what common LA jobs and licenses require, and what to do when prints get rejected or a report has to be apostilled for use abroad.

Last checked in October 2026 against guidance from the FBI, the California Department of Justice and the state licensing agencies named below. Government fees change, so confirm them with the agency that requested your fingerprints.

The short answer:

• California job, license, credential or volunteer role: take the Request for Live Scan Service form (BCIA 8016) your agency gave you to a certified Live Scan site. The results go to the agency, not to you.
• Visa, residency, immigration or adoption abroad: request your own FBI Identity History Summary online with the FBI, through an FBI-approved channeler, or by mailing a fingerprint card.
• Typical cost in LA: $32 DOJ fee plus $17 FBI fee plus the site’s rolling fee (commonly $20 to $50) for agency Live Scan; an $18 FBI fee plus fingerprint capture costs for a personal FBI check.
• What the check shows: for most jobs and licenses, convictions that have not been dismissed or granted relief, plus arrests still awaiting trial. There is no seven-year cutoff.

Live Scan vs FBI Background Check: Which One Do You Need?

Live Scan is not a background check. It is the method: a certified operator scans your fingers on a glass plate and sends the images electronically. The background check is what the DOJ or the FBI does with those images afterward. That is why two people can both get a Live Scan in Los Angeles on the same morning and walk away with completely different results.

The quickest way to sort it out is to ask one question: who needs to receive the result?

Your situation	What to ask for	Who gets the result	Typical government fee
California job, license, credential or volunteer role	Live Scan with the agency’s BCIA 8016 form (DOJ only, or DOJ plus FBI)	The requesting agency	$32 DOJ, plus $17 if FBI is checked (varies by application type)
Visa, residency, work permit or adoption abroad	Your own FBI Identity History Summary	You	$18 FBI fee, plus capture or channeler fees
A California record for a visa or immigration case	California DOJ Visa/Immigration Live Scan (BCIA 8016 VISA)	You, by mail	$32, plus the rolling fee
Reviewing or correcting your own record	FBI Identity History Summary and, for California, a record review (BCIA 8016RR)	You	$18 FBI; $25 DOJ record review, plus the rolling fee

One rule trips up a lot of applicants. The FBI’s Identity History Summary page states that a personal FBI report is not to be used for employment or licensing, and that FBI-approved channelers cannot process employment or licensing requests. If a California board asked for your prints, a fast channeler report will not satisfy it. You need the Live Scan submission tied to that agency’s form.

How to Get FBI Fingerprinting or Live Scan in Los Angeles, Step by Step

1. Find out who needs the result. An employer, licensing board, school or volunteer program means Live Scan with that agency’s form. A visa, residency application or personal review means your own FBI Identity History Summary.
2. Get the right paperwork first. For agency Live Scan, ask the agency for its BCIA 8016 with the ORI code, mail code and level of service filled in, then check those fields against the table below. For a personal FBI check, start the request with the FBI or an FBI-approved channeler before you book.
3. Book a certified Live Scan site or a participating post office. Ask for the rolling fee, whether walk-ins are accepted and which payment methods the site takes.
4. Bring your form and a valid photo ID. The name on the ID has to match the form exactly.
5. Get fingerprinted and keep your receipt. The scan takes about 10 to 15 minutes. For agency Live Scan, make sure the ATI number is written on your copy of the form.
6. Track the result. Agency checks can be followed with the DOJ’s Applicant Background Check Status tool. Personal FBI results arrive by email or mail from the FBI or the channeler.

How Live Scan Works for a California Job or License

For employment, licensing and certification, the process always starts with the agency. It gives you a Request for Live Scan Service form (BCIA 8016) that already carries its ORI code, its mail code, the license type or working title, and the level of service: DOJ only, or DOJ and FBI. You add your personal details and take the form to a Live Scan site. The California Department of Justice requires these fingerprints to be taken by a certified fingerprint roller or qualified law enforcement personnel.

Live Scan only works inside California, but you do not need to be a California resident to use it. If you live in another state and cannot travel, the agency will usually send you ink fingerprint cards instead.

How to read your BCIA 8016 before the appointment

The Live Scan form is split into fields the agency fills in and fields you fill in. Most rejected transactions and results sent to the wrong place trace back to the agency’s part of the form, so check it at home, not at the counter.

Field on the form	Who fills it in	What to check
ORI	The agency	A DOJ-assigned code that identifies the agency. If it is blank, the site cannot submit your prints.
Type of application	The agency	Employment, license, volunteer and so on. It controls what the DOJ is allowed to release, so it has to match your role.
Job title or type of license	The agency	It has to agree with the type of application. A conflict between the two is a common reason for a rejected transaction.
Mail code	The agency	Tells the DOJ where to send the response. A wrong code can send your results to another agency, and a missing one can mean a slower mailed response.
Level of service	The agency	DOJ, FBI or both. If FBI is not checked, no federal search runs, even if you ask for one at the counter.
Billing number	The agency, if it has one	If it is filled in, the agency pays the government fees. If it is blank, you pay them to the Live Scan site.
Original ATI number	The agency or you	Only for a resubmission. Leaving it off can mean paying again.
Name, date of birth and descriptors	You	They must match your photo ID exactly, including middle names and hyphens.
Home address	You	Required for child abuse index checks and a few other programs. Follow your agency’s instructions.
Live Scan transaction completed by	The operator	The operator writes your ATI number here. Do not leave without it.

If anything in the agency’s part looks blank or wrong, call the agency before your appointment. The operator types in what the form says and should not fill in the ORI, mail code or level of service on the agency’s behalf.

What happens at the appointment

The operator checks your photo ID, types your details from the form into the Live Scan terminal, scans all ten fingers and transmits the record to the DOJ. Before you leave, you should receive an ATI number (Applicant Transaction Identifier) written on your copy of the form. Keep that copy. The ATI number is how you track the check, and it is what a provider will ask for if your prints need to be resubmitted.

A detail most guides skip: the DOJ notes that getting an ATI number does not prove your prints have already been sent. Operators are supposed to transmit within 24 hours, but the timing is in their hands. This is one of the practical reasons to use an established provider.

How long Live Scan results take

If your fingerprints do not match anything in the state database, the DOJ generally processes the request electronically within 48 to 72 hours. If there is a match, a technician reviews the record by hand and must make a genuine effort to find the outcome of any arrest that has no recorded disposition. That review has no fixed timeline and can take weeks. When the FBI level of service is checked, the prints are also searched against the national database, and missing out-of-state dispositions go through the same research.

You can follow progress with the DOJ’s Applicant Background Check Status tool using your ATI number and date of birth. The status tells you where the background check stands, not whether you got the job or license. The results themselves go to the agency, although California law requires the agency to give you a copy if it makes an adverse decision based on them.

How to Get Your Own FBI Background Check in Los Angeles

An FBI Identity History Summary, often called a rap sheet, lists arrests reported to the FBI through fingerprint submissions, or confirms that no record exists. The FBI fee is $18 per person, and there are three ways to get one from Los Angeles.

Option 1: FBI online request plus a participating post office

Start the request on the FBI’s Electronic Departmental Order site (edo.cjis.gov), pay the $18 fee, then visit a participating U.S. Post Office to have your fingerprints captured electronically. USPS charges its own capture fee, $50 per person at the time of writing. The FBI says online results arrive within about 48 hours of the post office visit. Not every Los Angeles post office offers this, and you cannot simply walk in without the confirmation email, so check the participating locations inside the FBI portal first.

Option 2: An FBI-approved channeler

Channelers are private companies contracted with the FBI to submit requests and deliver results electronically. Many Live Scan offices in Los Angeles partner with one, capture your prints on site and send them through the channeler, and results often arrive within a day or two. You pay the channeler’s package price on top of the FBI fee. Two limits apply: channelers can only process requests for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents located in the United States, and they cannot process employment or licensing requests.

Option 3: Mail a fingerprint card

You can still have ink or printed fingerprints taken on a card and mail it to the FBI’s CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia, with the applicant information form and the $18 fee. The FBI’s instructions now reference form FD-1164, although many agencies and providers still use the FD-258 applicant card. This is the slowest route: the FBI quotes up to 50 days for a fully mailed request, plus postage. A faster hybrid is to submit the request and payment online, then mail only the card, which the FBI says it processes in about 15 days after the card arrives. If your prints are taken on a Live Scan device, ask the provider for a printed hard card so it can be mailed. For mailed payments the FBI accepts its credit card payment form, a money order or a certified check, never cash, personal checks or business checks.

If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, the channeler route is closed to you, so request your report directly from the FBI online or by mail.

What Shows Up on a Live Scan Background Check in California?

A California Live Scan shows what the DOJ is allowed to release to the agency that asked for it. For most jobs and licenses, that means convictions that have not been dismissed or granted relief, arrests still awaiting trial and sex offender registration status. Penal Code section 11105 sets different release rules for different kinds of agencies, so the same person can get a fuller report for a police job than for a real estate license.

Who requested the Live Scan	What the DOJ releases
Most employers, licensing boards and volunteer programs	Convictions, except most that were dismissed or granted relief under laws such as Penal Code 1203.4; arrests still awaiting trial; sex offender registration status
Schools, school districts and teacher credentialing	The same, plus some convictions that were later dismissed or granted relief
Child care, elder care and other facilities licensed by the Department of Social Services	Convictions, arrests awaiting trial and certain other arrests the department is required to review
In-home care programs such as IHSS	Convictions for specific listed offenses within the last 10 years, or where the person was incarcerated in that window, plus pending arrests for those offenses
Police and other criminal justice jobs	The fullest record, including most arrests that did not end in a conviction
Any check with FBI as the level of service	The national record, which can include arrests reported by other states with no recorded outcome

How far back does a Live Scan go?

There is no general seven-year limit. The seven-year rule many people have heard of comes from California’s consumer reporting laws, which govern private background screening companies, and the DOJ says those companies do not have access to its fingerprint records at all. According to the DOJ’s own FAQ, it keeps criminal history until a person turns 100, and what an agency receives depends on the release rules above, not on the age of the record. The exceptions are programs with a written lookback, such as the 10-year window for in-home care.

What a licensing board can hold against you is a separate question. Under Business and Professions Code section 480, boards and bureaus under the Department of Consumer Affairs, including the contractors board, the security guard bureau and the nursing board, can generally deny a license only for a conviction that is substantially related to the work and, apart from serious felonies and certain sex offenses, from the last seven years. They must also consider evidence of rehabilitation.

Expunged, sealed and automatically cleared records

A dismissal under Penal Code 1203.4, often called an expungement, does not erase the conviction from the DOJ database, and California’s own courts point out that true expungement does not exist in the state. What relief changes is who can see the record: most employers and licensing boards will not receive a conviction that has been dismissed. Since July 2022 the DOJ has also reviewed its records every month and marked eligible arrests and convictions for automatic relief, with no petition needed, and later laws widened which convictions qualify. Records with that relief stay on file, and police and education employers can still see some of them.

If you have an old case, request a record review before you apply. Use form BCIA 8016RR at any Live Scan site; the DOJ fee is $25 plus the rolling fee, and the response shows exactly what the state holds. If something should have been cleared and was not, the California Courts self-help guide to cleaning your record walks you through the court options, and the DOJ includes a challenge form with any record that shows criminal history.

What happens if something shows up

Under California’s Fair Chance Act (Government Code section 12952), most employers with five or more employees cannot ask about conviction history until after a conditional job offer. If a Live Scan result leads them toward withdrawing the offer, they must assess the conviction individually, notify you in writing with a copy of the report, and give you at least five business days to respond. Los Angeles County’s Fair Chance Ordinance added local rules for employers in unincorporated areas from September 2024, and the City of Los Angeles has its own ordinance. Whenever an agency makes an adverse decision based on DOJ information, Penal Code section 11105 also requires it to give you a copy.

Live Scan Cost in Los Angeles: DOJ, FBI and Rolling Fees

A standard employment or licensing Live Scan in Los Angeles costs $49 in government fees, $32 for the DOJ and $17 for the FBI, plus the rolling fee that each Live Scan site sets for itself. California licensing boards such as the Contractors State License Board list the same $49 split. Some application types add charges, for example child abuse index checks or firearms eligibility.

Fee	Current amount	Who sets it
California DOJ processing fee (most employment and licensing)	$32	California DOJ
FBI processing fee (when FBI is checked on the BCIA 8016)	$17	FBI, collected through the DOJ
DOJ record review (your own California record)	$25	California DOJ
Live Scan rolling fee	Commonly $20 to $50 in Los Angeles	Each Live Scan site
Mobile Live Scan travel fee	Quoted by the provider	Each provider
FBI Identity History Summary (personal check)	$18	FBI
USPS fingerprint capture for an FBI request	$50	USPS
FBI-approved channeler package	Varies, usually includes the $18 FBI fee	Each channeler

Check your form before you pay. If the BCIA 8016 shows a billing number, your employer or agency has an account with the DOJ and covers the government fees, so you normally pay only the rolling fee. Paying the $49 again is a common and avoidable mistake. Some volunteer and child placement checks also carry reduced or different DOJ fees, so compare the amount the site quotes with what your agency told you.

Live Scan Requirements for Common Jobs and Licenses in LA

The form always comes from the agency, but the rules around it differ a lot by job. Whether you need a Live Scan for a guard card, a notary commission or a real estate license, these are the requests Los Angeles Live Scan sites see most often, based on each agency’s own instructions.

Job or license	Who issues the form	Level of service and fees	Watch out for
Security guard card	Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, after you apply	DOJ and FBI: $49 plus the rolling fee; $87 with a firearms permit, which adds a $38 eligibility check	You can only be fingerprinted after your application payment clears, and your name, date of birth and SSN must match the application exactly.
Notary public	Secretary of State, after you pass the exam	DOJ and FBI processing fee plus the rolling fee, paid at the site	Prints must be taken within one year of the exam date or you retest, and the commission waits for both reports.
Real estate salesperson or broker	Department of Real Estate (form RE 237)	$49 processing fee plus the rolling fee	You can be fingerprinted once you apply for the exam, but the fee is not refunded if you fail. Send DRE a copy with Part 3 completed.
Contractor license	Contractors State License Board	$49 ($32 DOJ and $17 FBI) plus the rolling fee	Hard cards for applicants who cannot use Live Scan take three to six months or longer.
Teachers and school staff	The school district, county office of education or the Commission on Teacher Credentialing	DOJ and FBI; fees depend on the program	Schools can see some convictions that other employers cannot, even after a dismissal.
IHSS provider	Los Angeles County’s IHSS program, during provider enrollment	Set by the program; ask at enrollment who pays the fees	Only listed offenses within the last 10 years, or with incarceration in that window, are released.
Child care, elder care and group homes	The facility or the Department of Social Services	DOJ and FBI, often with a Child Abuse Central Index check	Pending and some other arrests are reviewed. An existing clearance can sometimes be transferred to a new facility.

If your role is not listed, the agency’s own instructions win. Ask for the form, the fee and whether the agency pays before you book.

For licensed professionals, the identity checks rarely end with Live Scan. Agents, contractors and notaries who advertise their services on Google go through a separate identity check where the same exact-name rule applies, and our guide to Google Ads advertiser verification explains which documents pass and which get rejected.

What to Bring to Your Live Scan Appointment

• The completed BCIA 8016 from your agency, or your FBI or channeler confirmation for a personal check.
• A valid, unexpired government photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID card or passport. The name has to match the form exactly.
• A payment method the site accepts. Some smaller offices do not take cards, so ask when you book.
• Your agency’s contact details, in case the operator needs to confirm the license type or working title.

Fingerprint quality matters more than most people expect. Dry or worn ridges are common among nurses, construction workers, older adults and anyone who washes their hands many times a day. Moisturize well the evening before, skip heavy lotion on the day, drink water, and wash and warm your hands before the scan.

How to Choose a Live Scan Provider in Los Angeles

For Live Scan or FBI fingerprinting in Los Angeles, you can choose from a long list of sites across the county, from sheriff’s stations and police departments to notary offices, dedicated fingerprint studios and mobile technicians who come to your home or office. The California DOJ publishes a public list of Live Scan sites with their fees. Before you book, ask:

1. Are your operators certified fingerprint rollers?
2. What is your rolling fee, and does the quoted price include the DOJ and FBI fees?
3. Is it walk-in or appointment only, and do you open on weekends?
4. For a personal FBI check, do you submit through an FBI-approved channeler or print a fingerprint card?
5. Do you offer mobile Live Scan for groups, offices or people who cannot travel?
6. Can someone help me in my language if I need it?

Public agencies can be cheaper but less predictable. At the time of writing, Cal State LA’s Department of Public Safety listed a $25 rolling fee but had closed its Live Scan service to the public until further notice, which is why a phone call matters more than any price list. Language help also varies by site, and the DOJ itself publishes its record review form and its visa and immigration FAQs in Spanish.

As one private example, A to Z Documents, a document services company based in Encino, offers DOJ Live Scan by appointment at its Encino Town Center office and mobile Live Scan across the San Fernando Valley and the rest of Los Angeles. In October 2026 its Live Scan page listed a $49 service fee plus government fees. You can check its current hours and pricing through this link Аtozdocuments.com/services/live-scan-fbi-fingerprinting/. Put the same questions to any provider, this one included, before you book.

Red flags to avoid

Fingerprints for a Live Scan or FBI request are always captured in person, on a scanner or an ink card. No website can run your Live Scan from a photo of your ID. Some California jobs and most licenses do expect you to pay for your own Live Scan, but you pay a certified Live Scan site directly, using the form the agency gave you, never a recruiter or a payment link sent by text or chat. Be careful with any hiring manager who asks you to pay a third party for a background check before you are hired, a pattern we cover in our guide to spotting job and rental scams on online classifieds. Keep the receipt, and make sure the ATI number is on your copy of the form.

FBI Background Check for Visas, Immigration and Moving Abroad

Foreign governments usually want the FBI Identity History Summary rather than a California check, often with an apostille and often issued within the last three to six months. The exact window depends on the country, so confirm it with the consulate before you order the report.

How to apostille an FBI background check

An FBI report is a federal document, so the apostille comes from the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. (Form DS-4194, $20 per document at the time of writing), not from the California Secretary of State. Which formats the Department of State accepts for electronically delivered or channeler-issued results has changed over time, so confirm the current rule before you choose a route. Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention also require embassy legalization after the federal step.

When a California record is also required

Some consulates ask for a state check as well. The California DOJ offers a Visa/Immigration Live Scan using form BCIA 8016 VISA, for $32 plus the rolling fee, and mails the response to you only. The DOJ is clear that its response is not itself an apostille; you request the certification from the DOJ after the response arrives, and the state apostille follows from there.

Timing is the part people get wrong. Order the FBI report close to your visa appointment, not months ahead. Americans applying for Portugal’s D7 visa, for example, are asked for a criminal record certificate from their country of residence, which for most U.S. residents means an apostilled FBI report. If you are weighing a move like that, our guide to buying property in Portugal as an American explains why residency routes such as the D7, not real estate, are now the usual path.

U.S. founders setting up a business abroad run into the same paper trail. Company formation in Malta, for instance, adds shareholder identification and KYC verification for non-EU founders, and banks or regulators handling licensed activities may also ask directors for a recent police certificate, which for a U.S. resident means an FBI report.

Rejected Fingerprints and Delays: What to Do

Prints can be rejected by the DOJ, by the FBI, or by both. The FBI applies stricter image-quality standards, so prints the DOJ accepts can still fail at the federal level. When that happens you will be asked to reprint, usually under the same ATI number, which is why keeping your copy of the form matters.

• Rejected twice by the DOJ: the requesting agency can ask the DOJ for a name check (form BCIA 9010), which searches state records by name instead.
• Rejected twice by the FBI: the requesting agency can submit form BCIA 8020 for an FBI name check. The DOJ must receive it within 75 calendar days of the second rejection. After 90 days the FBI closes the transaction and you have to be fingerprinted again.
• Wrong or missing data: if the license type or working title does not match what the FBI expects, the FBI rejects the transaction and you must be fingerprinted again. A wrong mail code sends your results to the wrong agency.

Before you leave the appointment, glance at what the operator entered and compare it with your form. Thirty seconds of checking can save a second visit.

Live Scan Results, Fees and Walk-Ins in LA: Quick Answers

Before You Book Your Live Scan Appointment

• Confirm who needs the result: an agency (Live Scan with its form) or you (personal FBI check).
• Check the form for a billing number, the correct type of application and the correct level of service.
• If you have an old case, run a record review first so nothing on the report surprises you.
• Bring a valid photo ID whose name matches the form exactly.
• Keep your copy of the form with the ATI number until the process is complete.
• For use abroad, confirm the apostille and date requirements before you order the report.

Editor's note: This guide was originally contributed by A to Z Documents, a Live Scan and document services company in Encino, with no payment or commercial arrangement behind it. The editorial.visualmodo.com/Sites Gallery/ team rewrote and fact-checked it in September 2026 and updated it in October 2026 against guidance from the FBI's CJIS Division, the California Department of Justice, the California courts and the state licensing agencies named above. Primary sources checked: the FBI's Identity History Summary Checks page; the California DOJ's applicant FAQs, record review, visa and immigration, and automatic record relief pages and its BCIA 8016 instructions; California Penal Code section 11105; and the fingerprinting pages of the CSLB, BSIS, Secretary of State and Department of Real Estate. Fees and processing times change, so confirm current figures with the agency that requested your fingerprints. This article is general information, not legal advice; for questions about how a record affects a job offer, a license or an immigration case, speak with a licensed attorney.