How to Get an FBI Background Check Faster?

Poor fingerprint quality is one of the most common reasons an FBI Background Check is delayed or rejected. Improperly captured, smudged, or faint fingerprints can require a new submission, adding unnecessary time to an already time-sensitive process.

The best way to avoid these delays is to submit high-quality fingerprints, accurate application details, and the correct documents through an appropriate submission method. Applicants who are working with a tight deadline can also use professional FBI Background Check services to coordinate fingerprinting, application support, submission, and result delivery, helping reduce avoidable delays.

Searching for the fastest way to get your FBI Identity History Summary? Know this first:

An FBI Background Check, officially termed an FBI Identity History Summary (IdHS) and often colloquially referred to as a "rap sheet," is an official document issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. Under federal regulations, individuals have the legal right to request a copy of their central record for personal review, international immigration, visa processing, foreign employment, or adoption.

Unlike typical local or pre-employment screening checks that rely on simple name or Social Security Number searches, an FBI background check is strictly biometric-driven. The search is executed using your 10-digit friction ridge impressions (fingerprints) matched against the FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI) database, the federal repository for US criminal history records.

There is no single processing time for an FBI Background Check. How quickly you receive your FBI Identity History Summary depends on various factors such as how you submit the request, the quality of your fingerprints, and whether anything needs to be corrected or reviewed.

The FBI confirms that electronic requests are usually processed faster than mail-in requests, but it does not offer a general expedited processing service. Here are a few common factors that affect the overall processing time of an FBI Background Check application:

1. How You Submit Your Request

Your submission method can make a significant difference. Electronic requests avoid time taken by the mailing and manual handling involved with paper submissions, which is why the FBI says electronic requests should be processed faster. FBI-approved channelers can also electronically forward fingerprint submissions to the FBI and receive the electronic result for delivery to the applicant.

If you are submitting a paper request, you also need to plan for the time involved in preparing, mailing, receiving, and processing the physical fingerprint card from your location.

2. The Quality of Your Fingerprints

A fingerprint card that seems fine to you may still be difficult to process and cause delays. Sometimes unprofessionally captured, faint, smudged, incomplete, or unclear fingerprint impressions can lead to rejection or require you submit another set of prints.

This is one reason professional fingerprinting for FBI Background Check, like Globeia can be valuable when you are working with a deadline. The FBI recommends having multiple sets taken, preferably by a fingerprint associate, if your fingerprints are repeatedly rejected.

3. Errors in Your Application

A small mistake in your personal information can create unnecessary issues. Therefore, before submitting your request, you must check important details such as your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number where applicable, address, and email address against your identification and application.

Remember: Make sure the information you are submitting with your fingerprints is complete and accurate the first time.

4. Your Location and Available Fingerprinting Options

For applicants within the United States, the online route at edo.cjis.gov is the fastest option. Eligible applicants complete the application online, then visit a participating US Post Office location to submit fingerprints electronically. The FBI states online requests are processed within 48 hours of the Post Office visit.

For applicants outside the US: The eDO portal, US Post Office fingerprinting, and FBI-approved channellers are not available to international applicants. Ink fingerprints on the FD-1164 card must be submitted directly to the FBI by mail, or coordinated through a service like Globeia that supports international submissions.

5. Additional Review or Record Issues

Sometimes, a delay has nothing to do with your fingerprinting appointment. If the FBI needs to review information associated with your request or clarify an issue with the record, processing can take longer.

The takeaway: even perfect fingerprints cannot guarantee a fast result if your application requires additional review.

Not every applicant has access to the same FBI submission route. Your location and eligibility will determine which option makes the most sense when you are trying to get your results within a tight deadline.

Here’s how the main routes compare when speed is the priority.

FBI Background Check Submission Routes: Speed Comparison

• FBI-Approved Channeler

If you qualify to use an FBI-approved channeler, this can be a convenient option when you are working with a tight deadline. These private entities are authorized to submit eligible Identity History Summary requests to the FBI and receive the result electronically.

Keep in mind that channelers are not all the same. Fees, eligibility, fingerprinting options, and turnaround times can vary, so check the provider's current requirements before you begin.

• Direct FBI Electronic Submission

You can also apply directly through the FBI using its electronic request process. You start the request online and then follow the FBI's instructions for submitting your fingerprints.

For applicants who are in the U.S. and have access to an accepted electronic fingerprinting option, this can be a convenient way to submit the request without relying entirely on a paper-based process.

• Professional FBI Background Check Coordinator

If you don't want to handle all the stages of the process yourself, working with a professional FBI Background Check coordinator can make things more manageable.

For international applicants, Globeia can help coordinate the fingerprinting and FBI Background Check process, including reviewing the fingerprint card, coordinating the U.S. submission through Globeia Inc., and arranging apostille or certified translation services when required.

Note: The important distinction is that professional coordination does not mean the FBI processes the request faster. Instead, it helps keep the different parts of the application organized and can reduce avoidable mistakes, missing requirements, and unnecessary back-and-forth.

Direct FBI Mail-In Request

If electronic submission or fingerprinting is not available to you, you can still submit your FBI Identity History Summary request by mail using an accepted fingerprint card.

This can be especially relevant for applicants living outside the United States. Just remember that your timeline will also need to account for getting fingerprinted, preparing the paperwork, sending the documents to the U.S., and allowing time for the FBI to receive the request.

The first stage of beginning the FBI Background Check process is capturing your fingerprint impressions with the right technique, following all the guidelines suggested by the FBI. For individuals applying for the application from outside the U.S., the process includes:

• Arranging professional fingerprinting services,
• Providing the required information,
• Preparing the official fingerprint card for submission,
• Sending the request to the U.S. successfully from their location,
• Dealing with apostille or translation requirements for their final document

Managing all these stages independently can be time-consuming, especially if you have a busy schedule, you are applying for the first time, or have a strict deadline. This is where professional coordination becomes valuable.

Globeia helps coordinate these stages so you don't have to figure out each part on your own. Here is how Globeia coordinates each stage of the FBI Background Check process to reduce avoidable delays:

Professional Fingerprinting Before Submission

The process starts with getting your fingerprints captured correctly. Globeia provides professional ink fingerprinting on the fingerprint card required for your request.

If you already have the appropriate fingerprint card, you can bring it to your appointment. If you already have a completed card, Globeia can review it and advise you on the next step based on its condition and requirements.

Application and Fingerprint Card Review

Apart from clear fingerprints, the information on your fingerprint card and FBI request also needs to be complete and consistent.

Globeia helps review the relevant details and identify common issues before the documents are sent for processing. This can help reduce the risk of having to correct an avoidable error later.

U.S.-Based FBI Submission Coordination (Globeia Inc. in the USA)

Getting the completed documents to the appropriate U.S. processing point can add another layer to the process for applicants living outside the United States.

Globeia coordinates the FBI submission through Globeia Inc. in the United States, giving international applicants a U.S.-based point of coordination instead of having to manage every document-handling step themselves.

Apostille and Certified Translation Coordination

If the FBI report is being submitted to a foreign authority, check the document requirements before you receive the result. Depending on the destination country and purpose why you are submitting it, you may need an apostille, legalization, or certified translation.

Globeia’s Apostille coordination and certified translation services  can help coordinate the applicable document services so these requirements do not become an unexpected extra step after your FBI Background Check is completed.

Why This Can Help When You are Short on Time

Globeia does not control FBI processing times and cannot guarantee how quickly the FBI will issue your Identity History Summary. What professional coordination can do is help remove some of the avoidable delays that occur around the FBI request.

For an applicant working toward a visa, immigration, employment, or other international deadline, having fingerprinting, document preparation, U.S. submission coordination, and subsequent authentication requirements handled as part of a connected process can make the overall experience considerably easier to manage.

Important: The FBI determines whether an Identity History Summary request is accepted and how quickly it is processed. Globeia provides fingerprinting, coordination, and related document services but does not guarantee FBI processing times, acceptance, or the contents of the final report.

A delay in your FBI Background Check application can start much earlier in the process than the submission. It can begin with unclear fingerprints, an incomplete application, missing information, or confusion about where the original documents need to go.

Globeia brings the main steps together so these issues can be addressed before they turn into another round of paperwork or fingerprinting.

Here is how Globeia’s FBI Background Check coordination services work: 

Step 1: Book Fingerprinting Appointment

Begin with a professional fingerprinting appointment through Globeia. Your fingerprints are captured on the appropriate FBI fingerprint card using the required technique.

Based on the location, you can also choose mobile fingerprinting at your preferred location. A trained fingerprint associate will visit you with the required card, such as FD-258, and check the card for completeness before you leave.

If you already have a completed fingerprint card, Globeia can review it and advise on the next step based on its condition and the FBI's requirements.

Step 2: Get Your Request Ready

Once your fingerprints are captured, Globeia helps organize the information needed for your FBI Identity History Summary request.

The fingerprint card and relevant details are checked before the request moves forward. Catching missing or incorrect information at this stage can help avoid having to revisit the submission later.

Step 3: Coordinate the FBI Submission through Globeia Inc. in the USA

Once everything is ready, Globeia coordinates the U.S. side of the submission through Globeia Inc.

For someone living outside the United States, this means the fingerprint card and supporting documents do not have to be managed through several separate channels.

Step 4: Track the Progress of Your Application

Your application can be followed through Globeia SmartPortal, giving you one place to keep track of updates and document-related information instead of having to follow up across different stages of the process.

Step 5: Receive Your FBI Report

Once the FBI completes its processing, your FBI Identity History Summary is issued and delivered through the applicable method. Globeia can assist with the next document steps once the report is available.

Note: Globeia supports the coordination around the request, but the FBI remains responsible for reviewing the application and determining when the report is issued.

Step 6: Complete Any International Document Requirements

If the report is being submitted to a foreign authority, there may be additional requirements after the FBI report is issued. Depending on the destination, this can include an apostille, legalization, or certified translation.

Globeia can coordinate the applicable services, so the document can continue through the required stages without having to start a separate search for each service.

A More Connected Process From Start to Finish

The advantage of using Globeia is not a promise of faster FBI processing. It is having the important steps connected:

Fingerprinting - Request preparation - U.S. submission - Application updates - FBI report - Apostille/translation, if required

Globeia can help reduce the common gaps, and errors by keeping these stages together, which can add unnecessary time to an FBI Background Check.

Small mistakes in an FBI Background Check can become costly delays, especially when a strict deadline is involved. However, you can avoid these delays by choosing a suitable submission route, having your fingerprints captured correctly by following the official guidelines, and making sure the document work is complete.

For those who prefer to have the process coordinated, Globeia can handle the key steps around the FBI request, from professional fingerprinting and submission coordination to application tracking and apostille or certified translation services, where needed.

While the FBI determines how and when the Identity History Summary is processed, having the rest of the process properly prepared can help you avoid unnecessary rework and keep your request on track.

Ready to start? Begin your FBI Background Check application with Globeia today.