Certified Copies of Fingerprints and/or Identity History Summaries
Note: An individual cannot request a certified copy of fingerprints and/or Identity History Summary information.
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division provides certification of fingerprints and/or Identity History Summary information to be used in court cases. Certified copies can only be requested by law enforcement entities.
There are two different types of certifications as follows:
Level 1
Level 1 certification of fingerprints and/or Identity History Summary information will include the requested information attached to FBI letterhead.
To request a Level 1 certification, the requesting agency must provide the following information on agency letterhead:
- Subject’s name;
- FBI number;
- Date of birth;
- Type of request (i.e., fingerprints with required dates of arrest, Identity History Summary, or both);
- Purpose of the request;
- Official name and title of requestor;
- Complete mailing address (no P.O. Boxes);
- Telephone number; and
- Agency ORI number.
The request can be sent via fax to (304) 625-5587 or mailed to the following address:
FBI CJIS Division
Attn: Special Processing Center/BTC-4
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
Level 2
Level 2 certification of fingerprints and/or Identity History Summary information will include the requested information (if available), a document signed by the FBI CJIS assistant director with a raised seal and ribbon, and a letter from the Director of the FBI giving the CJIS assistant director signature authority for the document. This is recognized in court proceedings as an official document.
Requests for Level 2 certified copies of fingerprints and/or Identity History Summary information must include an original court order signed by a judge, with the following exceptions:
- Electronic communications (ECs) from FBI field offices;
- Written communications from U.S. Attorney’s offices only on agency letterhead;
- Written communications from a foreign country for extradition purposes;
- Written communications from any law enforcement agency going to a foreign country for extradition purposes; and
- Electronic court orders.
To request Level 2 certified copies of information, in addition to the original signed court order, the requesting agency must provide the following information on agency letterhead:
- Subject’s name;
- FBI Universal Control Number (formerly referred to as an FBI Number);
- Date of birth;
- Type of request (i.e., fingerprints with required dates of arrest, Identity History Summary, or both);
- Custodial status of the subject and location if subject is in custody;
- Purpose of the request (i.e., prosecution, extradition);
- Official name and title of requestor;
- Complete mailing address (no P.O. Boxes);
- Requestor telephone number;
- Requesting agency’s Originating Agency Identifier (ORI) Number; and
- Court date.
Note: The Criminal History Analysis Team 1 requires a minimum of two weeks for the processing of a Level 2 Certified Request once it has been received.
Please note that any documents reflecting a foreign language must be accompanied by an official translation of the document(s).
The request must be mailed to the following address:
FBI CJIS Division
Attn: Criminal History Analysis Team 1/BTC-3
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306