When a job offer, license, or deadline is riding on your FBI background check, the first thing you want to know is: how long is this going to take? The honest answer is that it depends almost entirely on how you submit your fingerprints. Two people can start the same day and get their results weeks apart — the difference is the method.
The slow way: mailing an ink card
If you get fingerprinted on a paper ink card and mail it to the FBI yourself, plan on 8 to 12 weeks. Your card travels through the mail, waits in a processing queue, gets checked by hand, and then the results are mailed back. Every one of those steps adds time, and none of it is in your control once the envelope is out of your hands. For anyone on a tight timeline, that's a long stretch of waiting and wondering.
The fast way: electronic submission
Submit electronically and the picture changes completely. Your prints go to the FBI digitally, and your Identity History Summary comes back in about 30 minutes. No mailing, no queue, no weeks of uncertainty — you walk in, get printed, and typically leave with your result the same visit. That's the difference between planning your life around a two-to-three-month wait and simply getting it done.
What affects your turnaround
Even with electronic submission, a couple of things determine whether everything moves smoothly:
- Print quality. Clean, clear prints go through the first time. A poor impression can be rejected, which means starting over. Live electronic capture lets us check image quality on the spot and re-capture anything that isn't right before it's ever submitted.
- Correct information. Accurate personal details and the right submission codes keep your check from getting held up. Bring your instructions and a valid photo ID so everything is entered correctly.
Getting it done quickly
We offer same-day appointments and walk-ins across Portland Metro and Clark County, WA, so you don't have to wait days just to get in the door. The FBI Background Check is $125, with results in about 30 minutes via electronic submission. Additional fees may apply and will be discussed during the appointment.
Oregon Fingerprinting is an independent provider — not IdentoGO or Fieldprint. You deal directly with a real person who can answer your questions before you even book, and we're women- and minority-owned and State of Oregon COBID certified (MBE, WBE, ESB).
Which method should you choose?
If your agency accepts electronic submission — and most do for FBI checks — that's almost always the smarter route. You save weeks, you avoid the risk of a mailed card getting lost, and you can plan around a same-visit result instead of an open-ended wait. The only time you'd mail an ink card is when the agency specifically requires a physical card to be submitted their way. Your instructions will tell you which they need, and if you're not sure, bring them in and we'll help you read them before you commit to anything.
A few common questions
How long does an FBI background check take?
It depends on how you submit. Mailing an ink fingerprint card to the FBI takes about 8 to 12 weeks. Electronic submission returns results in about 30 minutes.
Why is electronic submission so much faster?
Electronic submission sends your prints to the FBI digitally and returns your Identity History Summary in about 30 minutes, skipping the weeks of mailing and manual processing that ink cards require.
What can slow down my results?
Poor print quality can cause a rejection and a restart, and incorrect or missing information can delay processing. Clean prints and accurate details keep things moving.
Do you offer same-day appointments?
Yes. We offer same-day appointments and walk-ins. FBI Background Check is $125. Additional fees may apply and will be discussed during the appointment.
Skip the 8–12 week wait
Electronic FBI submission with results in about 30 minutes — same-day appointments and walk-ins across Portland Metro and Clark County, WA.