IDVetting - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is an Identity History Summary Check and what do IdHSC and CHRC mean?

An Identity History Summary Check (IdHSC) — often referred to as a Criminal History Record Check (CHRC) or a “rap sheet” — lists certain information taken from fingerprint submissions kept by the FBI and related to arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service.

The U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73, also known as Departmental Order or simply “DO”, establishes rules and regulations for you to obtain a copy of your Identity History Summary for review or proof that one does not exist.

How much does it cost?

Expedited "Digital Download" IdHSC reports are available for a flat rate of $80 and are instantly downloadable after we receive your results from the FBI.

Standard "Paper Copy" IdHSC reports are available shipped within the contiguous United States* for $55 – which includes free FedEx 2Day shipping. Expedited shipping is available for an additional cost.

*Costs outside the contiguous United Stated vary by shipping location. Please contact customer support for more detailed information on these shipping options.

How long does the process take?

There are two result delivery methods to choose from: digital download & paper copy. The sooner we receive your physical application package (including your fingerprint cards), the sooner you will receive your results in either delivery option case.

Digital Download

On average*, total processing time for the digital download delivery option is about 2-3 business days. Once we receive your application package, normal processing time to your email inbox takes on average 6 hours*, as long as there are no issues with the quality of the fingerprint images received.

Paper Copy

On average*, total processing time for the paper copy delivery option is about 5 business days. Once we receive your application package, normal processing time to your mailbox takes on average 2-3 days*, as long as there are no issues with the quality of the fingerprint images received.

*Please note various circumstances beyond our control (i.e. shipping carrier, FBI-processing) can extend this time. Expedited shipping options are available for select locations.

Do you apostille the CHRC report?

The IdHSC reports provided cannot be used for apostille.

Please refer to the FBI’s Identity History Summary Checks FAQ for more information on apostille services.

What is the status of my application? I sent it X days ago but the status has not changed.

If you signed up for an account*, sign in and select “View” link on the application in question for more details.

At the top of the application details page, a status bar will indicate at what step your application is currently at. Click the “What do I need to do next?” link if unsure of the next step required.

*If you did not sign up for an account upon completing the application, please refer to the confirmation email you would have received from Telos ID at that time – as there is a link within that email that will allow you to create an account. If you cannot locate your confirmation email, please contact customer service (1-800-714-3557 | IDVetting.Support@telos.com) to request a resend.

Do you offer expedited shipping?

Yes, we provide expedited FBI Identity History Summary Check results. Please see expedited shipping options, where available, during payment.

The digital download delivery method is the quickest way to receive your results.

What is "Digital Download"?

IDVetting® now offers “digital download” as a delivery method right to your email to drastically reduce the time you have to wait to receive results.

Digital download instantly notifies you via email when your results have been received from the FBI (sometimes in as little as 5 minutes*) and provides you with a secure link to download them right away.

*Please note various circumstances beyond our control (i.e. customer shipping method, FBI-processing) can extend this time.

How do I change something on my application?

If an error was made or a change in your biographic data is required after you have submitted your payment, please (1) re-print your form, (2) manually change any erroneous or incorrect data, (3) initial next to each change and highlight the section.

If you require a biographic data change after you have submitted your package to us, but before we have received it, please call customer service. A new form, with edited changes described above, will need to be sent to us.

How do I register for an account?

After completing an application, you will be prompted to create an account on IDVetting.

If you did not sign up for an account upon completing the application, please refer to the confirmation email you would have received from Telos ID at that time – as there is a link within that email that will allow you to create an account. If you cannot locate your confirmation email, please contact customer service (1-800-714-3557 | IDVetting.Support@telos.com) to request a resend.

Can results be mailed to APO addresses or US Territories?

Results can be mailed to US Territories. However, the FBI does not authorize results to be mailed to APO Addresses.

Looking for more information?

Please go to the FBI’s Identity History Summary Check Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Privacy information

FBI Privacy Act Statement: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/privacy-act-statement-9-9-13.pdf
Noncriminal Justice Applicant’s Privacy Rights: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/compact-council-noncriminal-justice-applicants-privacy-rights.pdf

Who can use our service?

Authorized Individual: A U.S. person (an individual who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident of the United States) requesting a copy of their national Identity History Summary (IdHS) for review, proof that one does not exist, correction, or to challenge the information on the record. A lawful permanent resident is any person, not a citizen of the United States, who is residing in the United States under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent resident as an immigrant.

Fingerprinting

Where can I get my fingerprints taken?

Fingerprints should be captured by a law enforcement agency or an official FBI-approved Channeler using two standard FBI fingerprint forms (FD258)

Prints cannot be captured outside of the United States.

Click here to search for possible fingerprinting locations in your area*

Also some printing companies offer this service; check the Yellow Pages or search online.

*PLEASE CALL locations for fingerprinting availability, pricing, and hours of operation prior to visit. Telos ID does not guarantee fingerprinting availability at every site listed in your area.

What is the proper technique to capture fingerprints?

Fingerprints should be captured by a law enforcement agency or an official FBI-approved Channeler using either 2 standard FBI fingerprint forms (FD258) or a printed copy of the digital capture. FBI fingerprint forms (FD258)

Please refer to this document for more information - “How To Capture Legible Fingerprints” and the FBI website Recording Legible Fingerprints

Can I send in just one fingerprint card?

We highly recommend sending in two cards to decrease your chances of having a poor quality print rejection at the FBI. When we receive 2, we will scan and use the better of the two cards for processing.

What if my fingerprints are rejected?

The FBI allows two tries to submit acceptable (readable) fingerprints per application. Even though you are required to send us two sets of prints, we will use the best image quality set when submitting. Should the FBI reject your best set of fingerprints, you would receive an email from IDVetting.Support@telos.com requesting you to send us another set for a second try.

Should the second submission get rejected and you would like to try again, you would need to complete an entire new application with a new set of prints (standard fees would apply).

Payment

How much does it cost?

Expedited "Digital Download" IdHSC reports are available for a flat rate of $80 and are instantly downloadable after we receive your results from the FBI.

*Costs outside the contiguous United Stated vary by shipping location. Please contact customer support for more detailed information on these shipping options.

How do I order extra paper copies?

Extra paper copies of your FBI Identity History Summary Check report can be purchased during the Payment step of the process. Use the drop down to select the number of extra paper copies you wish to receive.

Payment Scale:
1 extra paper copy (+$10.00)
2 extra paper copies (+$20.00)
3 extra paper copies (+$25.00)
5 extra paper copies (+$30.00)

Can I order extra paper copies after I’ve already sent in my form and fingerprints?

Yes*.

Please log in to your account and go to the application details page and select ORDER MORE COPIES under “Need Additional Copies?”

*Please note, additional paper copies will not be able to be ordered once Telos ID receives your application package and begins to process it.

What credit card types do you accept?

We accept the following card types:

American Express
Diners Club
Discover
JCB
MasterCard
Visa

Do you accept debit cards?

We can accept signature debit cards as long as the cards have a logo of one of the card types we accept (see FAQ “WHAT CREDIT CARD TYPES DO YOU ACCEPT?”). When debit cards have this logo, they are processed through our system like credit cards. We do not currently support PIN-based debit card transactions.

Do you accept Paypal?

Yes.

Simply click on Paypal logo on payment screen to initiate.

Why does my credit/debit card keep getting declined?

Credit and debit cards can be declined for a number of reasons. Typically you will receive a specific message as to why such as “incorrect CCV code” or “mismatched address”. Please try again with the correct card information. If you continue to receive an error please first contact your banking or credit card institution to confirm the card’s status and information.

How do I cancel my application?

Please contact customer service (1-800-714-3557) if you’d like to cancel your application and request a refund.

Please note, each application cancellation is subject to a $20 processing fee.

An application cannot be cancelled once we receive your package.

Results

Can I order both "Digital Download" and "Paper Copy" results?

Yes

I paid for "Digital Download" and it's been over 5 minutes. Where are my results?

Please note, we cannot submit your fingerprints to the FBI until we physically receive them from you. Please account for the time it will take to capture your fingerprints and then send the fingerprint cards and signed application form to us.

Once we receive your application package, your case status will be updated automatically and we will send your fingerprints to the FBI digitally. A digital response can return in as little as a few minutes in certain cases, but could take up to 24 hours depending on the quality of your fingerprint images.

I received an email saying my results are available for download. How do I download them?

Please refer to the instructions contained in the email on the next steps you need to take and how – or simply log in to your account by clicking the Log In button and select "Download Results" on your application status page.

Please note, you have up to 90 days to download your results. After the first download, you have only 30 days to download the report up to four more times, if necessary. Once the sooner time elapses, or five downloads have occurred, the results will no longer be available for download.

If you have difficulty accessing your download, please call our customer service staff @ 800 714 3557 | idvetting.support@telos.com

Is there a time limit to access my results?

Yes. You have five download chances per IdHSC report*.

*As per policy, time limits dictate how long you have to download your reports. You have 90 days to download the report the first time. After the first download, you have only 30 additional days to download the report up to four more times, if necessary. Once the sooner time elapses, or five downloads have occurred, the results will no longer be available for download.

I accidentally lost/deleted my Digital Download results file. Can I download it again?

Yes. You have five download chances per IdHSC report*.

*As per policy, time limits dictate how long you have to download your reports. You have 90 days to download the report the first time. After that you have only 30 additional days to download the report up to four more times, if necessary. Once the sooner time elapses, or five downloads have occurred, the results will no longer be available for download.

The download button is grayed out. I cannot download my results?

As per policy, if the download button is grayed out and you are unable to download your report anymore - either the time limit to download your IdHSC results has elapsed or you've already used your five download attempts.

If you would like to obtain your IdHSC report again, you will have to purchase a new application and submit a new set of fingerprints for another set of results.

I downloaded my results but the code I was provided does not not work to open the document.

Please note that the “download code” and “authorization code” are different.

The “download code” is used to download the PDF document from the website.

The “authorization code” is used to open/view the PDF document from your local computer.

I downloaded my report but the file will not open.

You will need Adobe Reader to open and view your IdHSC report.

You can download Adobe Reader here.