You can request your own FBI Identity History Summary online and submit fingerprints electronically, which is much faster than mailing a paper card. Here is how the FBI’s online system works in 2026, step by step.
Need this done in the Portland area? PDX Fingerprinting offers FBI background check fingerprinting at our Beaverton, Hillsboro and Lake Oswego offices, plus mobile service across the Portland metro. Book an appointment online.
Step by step
- Start your request online through the FBI’s Identity History Summary system (edo.cjis.gov), and pay the $18 FBI fee.
- Choose how to submit fingerprints: electronically at a participating Post Office, or by mailing a fingerprint card with your confirmation.
- Get fingerprinted. Bring your confirmation email and ID.
- Wait for results. After electronic submission, results often arrive within about 48 hours; mailed cards take longer.
- Get an apostille if needed for use abroad.
Fees and timelines are from the FBI’s Identity History Summary page.
Your three options
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| FBI online + USPS | Register online, then get printed at a participating Post Office | Your own record, U.S. citizens and residents |
| FBI online + mailed card | Register online, get an ink card rolled, mail it | When no USPS site is convenient |
| FBI-approved channeler | A private company submits for you | Speed; some can’t serve non-U.S. residents |
Tips to avoid delays
- Use the exact name and date of birth on your ID
- Request the apostille-ready (signed and sealed) version if your check is going abroad
- Keep your confirmation email; you need it for fingerprinting
- Make sure ink cards are clean, complete and unfolded
We can do it for you
We take your prints, submit them electronically and send you the results. FBI background check: $135; with apostille: $295 (see pricing). Need it fast? Expedited FBI background check.
Who should (and shouldn’t) use this process
- Use it to get your own FBI record: for visas, immigration abroad, adoption, personal review or to challenge an error.
- Don’t use it for a job or license that needs fingerprints. Those checks go through the agency’s own process, usually state Live Scan or a mailed card with the agency’s ORI number.
What you receive
Electronic requests usually come back as a secure PDF you can download. If there is no record, it says so. If the report will be used abroad with an apostille, check that it is the FBI-issued report with the FBI official’s signature and seal, since results from FBI-approved channelers cannot be apostilled.
Read more in how to read your FBI report and how to get an FBI apostille.
What it costs
The FBI charges its own fee for the Identity History Summary. Our complete FBI background check, including fingerprints and the electronic submission, is $135, or $295 with an apostille. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is the FBI eDO system the same as Live Scan?
No. eDO is the FBI’s online request system. Live Scan is the electronic fingerprint capture.
Can I use my results for immigration abroad?
Yes, often with an apostille. See FBI checks for immigration.
