I Need Several FD-258 Fingerprint Cards. Do I Have to Be Fingerprinted Again for Every Card?

Ink cards vs. print-to-card

An FD-258 is the standard FBI applicant fingerprint card. Many applicants need more than one: a licensing board might ask for two cards, or you might be applying to several agencies at once. How those cards are made depends on the method.

Either way, you do not come back for each card. With ink, we roll each card in the same visit. With print-to-card, our digital system allows us to capture your fingerprints once and efficiently produce multiple FD-258 or agency-specific fingerprint cards when permitted by the receiving agency. See our multi-state fingerprinting and print-to-card page and our FD-258 ink card fingerprinting page for details.

When each card must be rolled in ink

Print-to-card is not the right choice for every application. Stick with traditional ink when:

• The agency’s instructions say cards must be rolled in ink or hand-rolled.
• The agency has told you it does not accept printed cards.
• The program does not use cards at all and requires electronic Live Scan submission instead.

If the instructions are silent, ask the agency, or send them to us and we will help you read them. The receiving agency controls acceptance, so we never promise that a particular card will be accepted. Our Live Scan vs. ink card guide explains the wider choice.

Can you print additional fingerprint cards after my appointment?

Sometimes, yes, and this is where print-to-card saves the most time. Need additional permitted cards later? With your consent, your digital fingerprint record may be securely retained for up to 30 days under our stated retention policy so additional qualifying cards can be produced during that period without repeating the full fingerprint capture.

A few important limits apply:

• Only with your consent. We ask before retaining anything. You can decline.
• Up to 30 days. Cards needed after that period require a new capture.
• Qualifying cards only. The extra card has to be one the receiving agency permits to be printed from a digital capture.
• Not for every program. Retention and reprinting never apply to programs whose rules prohibit it.
• Agency requirements control. If an agency asks for a fresh capture, we follow its instructions.

The full retention terms are set out in our privacy and data handling policy.

Can one digital fingerprint capture be used to print cards for multiple licensing applications?

Yes, when each receiving agency permits printed cards. This is the most common reason people choose print-to-card: a nurse, adjuster or security professional applying for licenses with several boards at once. We capture once, then print a separate card, or set of cards, for each application. Each card is completed with the details that application requires, such as the ORI number and reason-fingerprinted code.

What one capture cannot do is replace a different submission method. If one of your applications requires Live Scan, or its program prohibits reuse of a capture, that application follows its own process.

What to bring

• A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID
• The fingerprint instructions for each application
• The total number of cards you need, and which agency each one is for
• ORI numbers and reason codes, if your agencies provide them
• Any agency-specific blank cards you were sent (standard FD-258 cards and a mailing envelope are supplied)

What if I need multiple states?

Multiple states usually means multiple agencies, each with its own card type, card count and codes. Our guide Which fingerprint cards do I need for multiple states? walks through how to sort them out. We serve applicants across Missouri and Kansas from our Kansas City office, and our mobile service can come to your workplace for groups.