Requesting a National (FBI) Record Check

The BCI is responsible for submitting national criminal history record searches to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for criminal justice agencies and those entities allowed by state or federal law to receive federal record check information, including: applicants for teaching licenses, foster care providers, potential adoptive parents, ITD employees, and others (see: N.D.C.C. § 12-60-24).

All FBI record searches are fingerprint based, which means that a set of fingerprints is required in order for the record check to be processed. Fingerprints must be taken by trained staff at local law enforcement agencies. The law enforcement agency may charge a separate fee for fingerprinting services.

Fees include a $15.00 fee for the BCI to process the fingerprint card to the FBI and the FBI charges $17.25 to process the request. The fee to BCI must be paid at the time of the request. The BCI processes a monthly billing from the FBI for amounts payable to the FBI.
The FBI record may not include all state criminal history information because the FBI does not collect information about certain crimes that are reportable under state law. In North Dakota, for example, arrests for some NSF check offenses are reportable on a card that only includes one fingerprint. That information cannot be submitted to the FBI because they require a 10 print arrest card.

An individual may check their own national criminal record by submitting a set of fingerprints directly to the FBI. More information is available from the FBI at (304) 625-3878 or at the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm.