How to get an FBI criminal background check

Now most people will never have to do this,  for most of us in the adoption world this is a must .... at least once, for us TWICE! UGH!
Since we have had such issues figuring out how to do this .... I am going to share LOL!!

We did this once electronically a year ago using Accurate Biometrics in our area.  We did this for our home study and the home study agency received our results. They said in our home study that our FBI background check results came back clear (No record found!)

Well now we need a hard copy from the FBI, this was a requirement that our adoption agency did not realize that we needed in our dossier. This should have been included on the list of documents required for our dossier, but it was a newer addition so it was not on our dossier document list. (Remember, a dossier is a stack of paperwork that is required by your adopting country, we had 27 items including birth certificates for the entire family, marriage certificate, divorce decree, medical forms, application, guardianship form for our to-be-adopted children,  references, bank letter .. and much more)  Now our dossier was sent to Kenya and has been approved by the government ... we just need this form turned in to them to be OFFICIAL!

Here's what we are doing:
I am getting this information directly from the FBI web site here : http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/submitting-an-identification-record-request-to-the-fbi

We got hard copies of our fingerprints at local law enforcement office,  police department, sheriff's office,  my husband found a place in Chicago near his office that did them in a government  building for $9.  it's a GOOD idea to print the form you will need,  Law enforcement may only have a criminal fingerprint card .... you DO NOT WANT THAT!
Here is a link to the card you will need: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/standard-fingerprint-form-fd-258
Mine were $16, I got 2 copies of my fingerprints.  It's good to get at  least 2 copies just in case one is not good.

I printed the application form for the FBI back ground check  HERE: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/applicant-information-form

One for my husband and one for me.
We need our results authenticated by the FBI, you should add a cover letter with this request or add a note to your application with this request. In the right margin of the first link I posted, there are FAQ's , #9 in the FAQ's is:

9. Does the FBI provide apostilles*?

(*An apostille is a certification that a document has been “legalized” or “authenticated” by the issuing agency through a process in which various seals are placed on the document.)

The CJIS Division will authenticate U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 fingerprint search results for international requests by placing the FBI seal and the signature of a division official on the results if requested at the time of submission. Documents prepared in this way may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requestor to obtain an apostille if necessary. This procedure became effective on January 25, 2010 and will apply only to documents finalized after that date. Requests to authenticate previously processed results will not be accepted. This procedure replaces the letter formerly provided by the CJIS Division that indicated the service was not provided. Note: FBI-approved Channelers cannot provide an apostille. A request for your FBI Identification Record must be submitted directly to the FBI if an apostille is needed.

If you are doing this for adoption (and other things  I am sure,  but this is an adoption blog :) you will need to do this. 

The cost is $18 at the time I am writing this per copy per person.  We wanted 2 copies per person so we paid $72.  NO CHECKS are accepted, money order or cashiers check or credit card.
If paying by credit card you will need a credit card from.  You can find that here: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/credit-card-payment-form

Now just to make sure you got it all, they provide a checklist.  Found here: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/fbi-identification-record-request-checklist

After you checked everything off, you can mail it or Fedex as we did .. to:

FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

and I love the note at the bottom of their web site: 

Note: Although the FBI employs the most efficient methods for processing these requests, processing times may take approximately eight weeks depending on the volume of requests received.

at the time I am reposting this (April 7) it's been 3 1/2 weeks since we have sent this .... still waiting :(

We did send a Fedex envelope and air bill with this request,  hopefully they will use it.  It's not a prepaid air bill, they will charge us only if the FBI chooses to send it Fedex. 

I will update and let you know if we receive it Fedex (after 36 days it arrived Fedex, they used our Fedex air bill) ...... for those NOT in the adoption world,  those of us that are Fedex EVERYTHING we can. 

For one,  it's faster than mailing! and we do a lot of unnecessary waiting in the adoption process so this makes for a bit less waiting. 

For two, We can track it!