Identity & document services
Live Scan fingerprinting for DOJ and FBI background checks.
Sai Print captures your fingerprints electronically and transmits them to the California Department of Justice — and to the FBI when your application requires it. Bring the Request for Live Scan Service form from the agency that asked for your background check, plus a valid government photo ID.
What Live Scan is
Live Scan is California’s electronic fingerprinting system. Instead of rolling your prints in ink on a card, a scanner captures them digitally and sends them, with your personal information and the application type, to the California DOJ. The DOJ runs a state criminal history check and — when the request includes the FBI — forwards the prints to the FBI for a national check. Results go directly to the agency listed on your form, not to you.
Employers, licensing boards, volunteer organizations, schools, and many state agencies require Live Scan. You cannot be fingerprinted for one of these checks without the request form, because it carries the codes that tell the DOJ who to bill and where to send the results.
What to bring
- Your completed Request for Live Scan Service form (BCIA 8016, or the version your agency provides) — bring all copies.
- A valid, government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military ID, permanent resident card, or employment authorization card.
- Your billing number or agency payment code if the requesting agency is paying for the DOJ and FBI fees.
The form must already show the ORI (the requesting agency’s identifier), the type of application, and any OCA number. Sai Print cannot supply these — only the agency requesting your background check can.
Fees
You pay two kinds of charges: government fees that are fixed by the DOJ and FBI for the application type on your form, and a rolling fee that each Live Scan location sets for taking the prints. If your requesting agency is paying the government fees, you pay only the rolling fee. Government fees change from time to time — confirm the current amounts with Sai Print or on your form.
| Charge | Set by | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| DOJ criminal history fee | California Department of Justice, by application type | You, or the requesting agency |
| FBI criminal history fee | FBI, when the application requires a national check | You, or the requesting agency |
| Additional agency fee | Some licensing agencies add their own processing fee | You, or the requesting agency |
| Rolling fee | Sai Print, for capturing and transmitting the prints | You |
Sai Print does not set or keep the DOJ and FBI fees — they pass straight through to the government.
Ink fingerprint cards (FD-258)
Live Scan only works for checks that stay inside California’s system. If you need a background check from another state, a federal agency, an immigration matter, or an overseas licensing body, you usually need fingerprints rolled in ink on a physical card — most often the FBI’s FD-258 card.
- We roll a classic ink card, or a digital-to-card print, on the card your agency requires
- Bring the blank card if the agency sent you one; we can supply standard FD-258 cards
- Bring valid government photo ID and any reference number the agency gave you
- You mail the completed card yourself, following the agency’s instructions
FBI Identity History Summary
If you need your own personal copy of your FBI record — an Identity History Summary, sometimes called an FBI “identity history” or background check for personal review, adoption, or a foreign work visa — the FBI accepts fingerprint submissions through approved channelers and by mailed FD-258 card. We can take the prints for either route. The FBI, not Sai Print, sends you the result.
Before you come in
Get the request form
The agency, employer, or licensing board asking for your background check gives you the Request for Live Scan Service form with the ORI and application type filled in.
Fill in your part
Complete your name, date of birth, and other personal fields on the form. Leave the agency and billing sections as provided.
Come in with ID
Bring the form and a valid photo ID. The scan itself takes only a few minutes, and you leave with your copy of the form stamped as transmitted.
Good to know
- Results are confidential and go only to the agency named on your form. Sai Print never receives your criminal history.
- If the DOJ rejects your prints for image quality, California allows a no-charge reprint — bring your rejection letter.
- Minors can be printed for Live Scan; a parent or guardian should come along with ID.
- Very dry, worn, or recently injured fingertips can be hard to capture. Moisturize for a day or two beforehand and avoid heavy manual work that morning.
Start this at the counter.
Call (707) 332-5900 or email saiprintrp@gmail.com, or visit Sai Print in person, to confirm current hours, fees and turnaround, and to begin your paperwork.