What Is an FBI Identity History Summary?

An Identity History Summary is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service. [1] It is the record the FBI holds about a specific individual, indexed by that individual's fingerprints.

The document is widely referred to by names the FBI does not use. "FBI background check," "criminal history record," "rap sheet," and "police certificate" all commonly refer to this same document in ordinary usage. Immigration authorities outside the United States most often call it a police certificate or penal clearance certificate.

Identity History Summary

The FBI's official designation for a listing of information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests, federal employment, naturalization, or military service. [1]

Also called FBI background check · Rap sheet · Criminal history record

Identification record

The term used in federal regulation for the same document. 28 CFR Part 16, Subpart C governs the production of FBI identification records to the subject of the record. [2]

No-record result

Where the FBI holds no Identity History Summary for the fingerprints submitted, the response is not an absence of a document — the FBI issues a summary stating that no record exists. [1] Immigration authorities generally treat this as the required clearance.

CJIS

The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, the operational unit that maintains fingerprint-based records and processes Identity History Summary requests. [3]

The right of an individual to obtain their own Identity History Summary is established by Department of Justice Order 556-73, codified at 28 CFR 16.30 through 16.34. [2] Three conditions follow from that framework.

1. The request must be made by the subject of the record, or by a party the subject has properly authorized. The FBI does not disclose an individual's summary to an unrelated third party on request.
2. The request must be accompanied by fingerprints. The record is indexed biometrically, not by name or date of birth, which is why a name-only search cannot produce an Identity History Summary.
3. The applicable fee must be paid, unless a fee waiver applies.

At the highest level, obtaining an Identity History Summary follows the same four stages regardless of which submission channel is used.

1. 1

   Step 1: Capture fingerprints

   Fingerprints are captured either electronically at a participating location or on a standard FD-258 fingerprint card. [4]

   Biometric capture

2. 2

   Step 2: Submit the request

   The request is submitted directly to the FBI — electronically or by mail — or through an FBI-approved Channeler. [5]

   Three channels

3. 3

   Step 3: FBI searches its holdings

   CJIS searches its fingerprint holdings and produces either a summary of the record found or a summary stating that no record exists.

   Fingerprint-indexed search

4. 4

   Step 4: Result is delivered

   The result is returned electronically or by mail, depending on the channel and the delivery option selected.

   Delivery

The differences between channels — who is eligible to use them, what each costs, and whether a given foreign authority will accept the output — are covered in How to Request Your Identity History Summary.

1. 1973

   Department of Justice Order 556-73

   Establishes the procedure by which an individual may obtain a copy of their own FBI identification record. The order is codified at 28 CFR 16.30–16.34 and remains the operative authority. [2]

2. 2000s

   Channeler program

   The FBI begins approving private Channelers to receive and submit noncriminal-justice requests and return results, creating a third channel alongside direct electronic and direct mail submission. [7]

3. Present

   Electronic submission

   The FBI accepts requests electronically and states that electronically submitted requests should be processed faster than those submitted by mail. [6]