Key takeaways
- Confirm a provider can meet the exact requirement your agency, board or program specifies before discussing price.
- Ask how group sessions run: check-in, time slots, quality review and handling people who miss the session.
- For multi-location or multi-state needs, get coverage and coordination details in writing.
When mobile fingerprinting makes sense
A mobile fingerprinting company brings staff and equipment to your location. That is most useful when several people need fingerprints on a similar timeline: a new-hire class, a student cohort heading to clinicals, a security team renewing licenses or a department completing contract screening.
For one or two people, an individual appointment is usually simpler. The value of mobile service grows with headcount and with the cost of sending people off-site.
Group event experience
Fingerprinting one person is routine. Running a smooth session for a large group takes planning, so ask how the provider handles:
- Check-in and identity verification for each attendee
- Time slots, and how long each person typically takes
- Print quality review before someone leaves
- Attendees who miss the session or need to be recaptured
Sector requirements add their own details. See how this works for campus sessions for nursing and allied health students and onboarding sessions for security and alarm companies.
Coverage and locations
Ask exactly where the company provides on-site service, whether travel is priced separately and how they handle locations outside their usual area. A website may describe a broad region, so confirm your specific address and dates.
If your people are spread across several cities or states, ask whether one company will coordinate every location or whether you will be managing several vendors. Our multi-state fingerprinting page describes what a coordinated program should include.
Capture methods and state requirements
Mobile providers differ in the capture methods they support and the agencies they can submit to. Before comparing prices, confirm:
- Whether they can capture Live Scan for the agency named in your instructions
- Whether they complete FD-258 cards when hard cards are required
- Whether any state program in your requirement uses a designated provider
- How they handle attendees who need different methods for different agencies
For background on submission routes, read how FBI background check fingerprinting works.
Scheduling and on-site logistics
Good logistics keep a session short and predictable. Discuss these points before the date:
- Room requirements, power and setup time
- Building access, parking and visitor check-in
- Time slots by department, shift or class
- How changes in headcount are handled before the session
Communication and documentation
Ask who your point of contact will be before, during and after the session, and what you will receive afterward. Useful things to request include:
- Attendee instructions you can forward to your team
- A clear record of who attended and who still needs to be fingerprinted
- An explanation of which fees are included and which are paid to agencies
- A process for questions after submission
Our guide to fingerprinting costs explains how to compare quotes on equal terms.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Can you meet the exact fingerprinting requirement in our instructions?
- Which capture methods and submission routes will you use?
- Do you provide on-site service at our address and on our dates?
- How do you run check-in, time slots and quality review for groups?
- What is included in your quote, and what is billed separately?
- Who is our contact, and how do you handle follow-up questions?
- How do you coordinate locations in other cities or states?
If you would like these answered for your organization, book an appointment with your headcount, location and requirement.