Fingerprint Records Alternatives for Applicants

Contact Information

Washington state law requires/authorizes fingerprint background checks for the following:

  • Teacher Certification: All applicants who do not possess a valid Washington teaching certificate at the time of application.
  • School Employees and Contractors:All new employees of a school district, educational service district, approved private school, Washington state center for childhood deafness and hearing loss, state school for the blind, federal bureau of Indian-affairs funded school employee, charter schools, their contractors, and certain volunteers who have regularly unsupervised access to children.
  • Approved Private Schools: Private school employees with regularly unsupervised access to children.

All nine educational service district (ESD) offices within Washington state have the ability to process fingerprints electronically using live-scan technology. In addition, Washington State University, Central Washington University, and Western Washington University have live-scan capabilities; please contact them directly for more information.

Provided your fingerprints are of good quality, live-scan greatly reduces the turnaround time. However, if you have worn/fine ridge detail you will benefit by having your fingerprints taken with black printer's ink using the ink-and-roll method.

Fingerprinting Options

If you plan to be fingerprinted at an Educational Service District (ESD) in Washington state...
  1. Contact your local ESD for information regarding the submission of your fingerprints through the live scan process. Ask about additional processing fees, and the method of payment accepted. The fingerprint background check is $50 plus the ESD's processing fees.
  2. Go to the ESD and complete the electronic live scan fingerprint process.
  3. The ESD completes the process.
If you plan to be fingerprinted by a law enforcement agency or by a private fingerprinting service...
  1. Request a fingerprint card from the Fingerprint Records email or your ESD. The fingerprint card will be mailed to you.
  2. Once you receive the fingerprint card, bring the card to a private fingerprinting agency or law enforcement agency where they will apply your fingerprints on the card provided.
  3. Mail the completed fingerprint card and the $50 fee (check, money order, or cashier's check made payable to OSPI) to:

    OSPI
    Attn: Fiscal Office
    PO Box 47200
    Olympia, WA 98504-7200

  4. OSPI scans the card and submits it to the WSP.
If you are an out-of-state applicant...
  1. Request a fingerprint card from the Fingerprint Records email. The fingerprint card will be mailed to you.
  2. Bring the fingerprint card to a law enforcement agency or private fingerprinting agency where they will apply your fingerprints on the card provided. The process of capturing your fingerprint can be by the livescan process or ink and roll.
  3. Mail the completed fingerprint card and the $50 fee (check, money order, or cashier's check made payable to OSPI) to:

    OSPI
    Attn: Fiscal Office
    PO Box 47200
    Olympia, WA 98504-7200

  4. OSPI scans the card and submits it to the WSP.
If your fingerprints are unable to be scanned...

NOTE: The WSP recommends persons with worn/fine ridge detail be fingerprinted using the ink-and-roll method, with retabs as necessary. Printer's ink is more effective for recording very fine ridge detail than digital fingerprinting.

  1. Request a fingerprint card from the Fingerprint Records email or your ESD.
  2. Bring the fingerprint card to the law enforcement agency where they will complete the inked-and-roll fingerprint process.
  3. Mail the completed fingerprint card and the $50 background check fee to OSPI at:

    OSPI
    Attn: Fiscal Office
    PO Box 47200
    Olympia, WA 98504-7200
  4. OSPI scans the card and submits it to the WSP.
If your live scan or inked card fingerprints are rejected because of poor print quality...

NOTE: The WSP recommends persons with worn/fine ridge detail be fingerprinted using the ink-and-roll method, with retabs as necessary. Printer's ink is more effective for recording very fine ridge detail than digital fingerprinting.

Option 1: Get a second live scan

  1. Have your ESD or law enforcement agency rescan your fingerprints.
  2. Ask for a hard copy print out of the new scan.
  3. Mail the completed fingerprint cards with the rejection notice to the WSP at:

    Washington State Patrol
    Identification & Criminal History Section
    PO Box 42633
    Olympia, WA 98504-2633
  4. WSP completes the process.

Option 2: Get a second inked fingerprint card

  1. Request a fingerprint card from the Fingerprint Records email, your school district or ESD.
  2. Return to the agency that inked your first set of fingerprints. You may have to pay the fee again, but most agencies will waive it. Have your fingerprints inked-and-rolled a second time.
    NOTE: You may also choose to have your fingerprints retaken by a different fingerprinting agency, but you will have to pay the fee again.
  3. Mail the completed fingerprint cards with the rejection notice to WSP at:

    Washington State Patrol
    Identification & Criminal History Section
    PO Box 42633
    Olympia, WA 98504-2633
  4. WSP completes the process.