Can Someone Submit My Fingerprint Card for Me? What Applicants Should Know
"I've had my fingerprints taken. Can someone else send the card in for me?" Taking your prints and submitting them are two separate steps, and different people can help with each. Here is who can do what, how FBI submission works, and where mistakes usually happen.
It is one of the most common questions we hear: "I've had my fingerprints taken. Can someone else send the card in for me?"
The short answer is that taking your fingerprints and submitting them are two separate steps, and different people or companies can help with each. This guide explains who can do what, how FBI submission works, and where mistakes usually happen.
The Short Answer
- Yes, in many cases someone can help you submit. What is allowed depends on the system you are applying to, and on whether the results are coming back to you or going to someone else
- Taking prints and submitting them are different jobs. A fingerprinting professional can take your prints on the right card, and the card then goes forward by mail, an electronic route, or an approved third-party provider
- Confirm the route before you start. The FBI, the RCMP, and ACRO each work differently, so the right answer depends on your application
Step 1: Who Takes the Fingerprints?
Before anything is submitted, a clean, complete set of prints has to be taken on the right card. You have several options:
- A mobile fingerprinting professional, who comes to your doorstep. Printwise Global's mobile service comes to your home, workplace, or another agreed location. Fingerprinting starts from €79, with a travel charge added for mobile visits
- A fixed-location service, such as a provider's office or an embassy-linked service where one exists
- A local police station, in occasional cases. Policies on foreign fingerprint requests vary, so call ahead
- Yourself. The FBI publishes guidance on recording legible fingerprints, but poor-quality impressions can lead to rejection
Having a professional take the prints reduces the risk of a rejected set, and the FBI itself recommends a fingerprinting technician if prints are repeatedly rejected.
Step 2: Who Can Submit the Card?
For an FBI Identity History Summary, the FBI's own Identity History Summary Checks FAQ lists three ways to submit:
| Route | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic | Submit the request to the FBI and have fingerprints taken electronically at a participating location | Additional fees may apply. Participating locations are U.S. Post Offices, so this route isn't available from abroad |
| Send your completed fingerprint card to the FBI with your request | The usual route for applicants outside the U.S. | |
| FBI-approved third-party provider | An approved provider (channeler) handles the submission for you | The FBI says these providers serve U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents located in the U.S. or its territories, so check before relying on this from abroad |
So the card doesn't always have to be mailed by you personally. What matters is that the route you choose is one the FBI accepts, and that your request is complete.
What about someone else acting for you?
The FBI's FAQ is more specific about a few situations:
- Someone else can pay. The FBI notes that another person may pay for the request, as long as the payment information is provided during the request process
- Results going to another party need a release. When the information will be provided to someone other than you, such as an attorney or employer, the FBI says a release must be submitted with the request
- Delivery can be sent in care of someone else. The "in care of" field is used when results are sent to a person who will pass them to the intended recipient
It Is Not Only About the FBI
The answer changes with the system:
| System | Who submits | Card |
|---|---|---|
| FBI (United States) | You, by mail; or an approved route as above | FD-1164 or FD-258 |
| RCMP (Canada) | From outside Canada, only an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company in Canada; never mail it directly to CCRTIS yourself | Commonly C-216 / C-216C |
| ACRO (United Kingdom) | No card to submit: a standard ACRO Police Certificate doesn't require fingerprints | None |
Our RCMP guide includes a side-by-side FBI vs RCMP comparison, and our ACRO Police Certificate guide explains what ACRO does require.
Which Card Should Be Used?
Different sources name different cards. The FBI accepts the FD-1164, while many providers and some embassy guidance refer to the FD-258. What matters is a current card with clear, complete impressions, so confirm which one your submission route expects before the appointment. Our FD-258 guide explains the difference.
What Happens After Submission?
Once the FBI returns your record, you may still need further steps before you can use it officially abroad. The FBI authenticates fingerprint search results with a watermark and a division official's signature at the time of submission. If the receiving authority requires it, the FBI-authenticated document may then go to the U.S. Department of State for an apostille. Some countries also ask for legalisation or a certified translation.
Our guide to apostille vs attestation vs legalisation explains the differences, and our FBI apostille timeline and cost guide covers the full sequence.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
How Printwise Global Helps
Printwise Global brings professional mobile fingerprinting to your doorstep, with transparent pricing (fingerprinting from €79, plus a travel charge for mobile visits) and a smooth process from first message to completed card. We help you work out which check and card apply, guide you through the submission route that fits your application, and support you with apostille and translation steps where they are needed.
Looking for help in a specific city? See our guides for Lisbon and Porto.
Frequently asked questions
In many cases, yes. For an FBI Identity History Summary, the FBI lists electronic submission, mail, and FBI-approved third-party providers as routes. What is allowed for a particular request depends on the system and on where the results are going, so confirm the route before you start.
According to the FBI's FAQ, someone else may pay, as long as the payment information is provided during the request process.
The FBI states that a release must be submitted with the request when the information will be provided to another party.
A fingerprinting professional, a fixed-location service, in some cases a local police station, or you, following the FBI's guidance. A professional is the most reliable way to avoid a rejected set.
Yes. Our mobile fingerprinting service comes to your doorstep, at your home, workplace, or another agreed location. Fingerprinting starts from €79, with a travel charge added for mobile visits.
The FBI accepts the FD-1164, and many providers and some embassy guidance refer to the FD-258. Confirm which card your submission route expects.
Paper fingerprints must be submitted through an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company in Canada, not mailed directly to CCRTIS.
No. A standard ACRO Police Certificate does not require fingerprints.
A rejected set generally means fresh prints must be taken. The FBI advises having multiple sets taken, preferably by a fingerprinting technician, if prints are continuously rejected.
The Printwise Team
Identity Verification Specialists
Printwise Global is an international identity-verification company providing certified fingerprinting, FBI and RCMP background checks, apostille, and certified translation. Our specialists manage cross-border document requirements end to end for clients across the USA, Canada, the UK, India, and beyond.
