Standard Process With Expected Time
The average time for the criminal background check (CBC) to be completed from the time the fingerprints and forms are received in the CBCP office until the CBC report is delivered to the board is seven business days. However, it is not unusual for the process to take up to two weeks.
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1. Receive & Review fingerprints and forms — 3 business days
The CBCP office receives your fingerprints and consent forms in our office by mail. You will receive a status update email when your materials have been opened and are being reviewed for compliance.
Please note that in periods of high volume, it can take up to two weeks to process fingerprint cards. Also be aware that if any information is incomplete or incorrect, you will receive an email requesting additional information or documentation.
2. Transmit Fingerprints — 2–3 business days
The CBCP transmits the prints to the BCA, who in turn transmit them to the FBI. Fingerprints mailed to our office are usually processed and transmitted within three business days; however, during high volume periods it can take up to a week to transmit the prints. You will receive a status update by email at the time the prints are transmitted.
3. Report received by CBCP — 2 business days
There is a typical turnaround time of two business days from the time the prints have been transmitted to the BCA until the CBCP receives the report. We do not provide any status updates during this time. Most of the reports are received in less than two weeks. A few exceed a three-week turnaround time.
4. Process report and deliver to Board — 1 business day
When the report is received in the CBCP office, it is processed either the same day it is received or on the next business day. You will receive a status update email informing you that the report is being delivered to the board. At that time, the process conducted by the CBCP is complete.
NOTE: Additional time required for prints found to be unclassifiable by the FBI — 1–2 months
If the report is returned to the CBCP with notification that your prints were not classifiable, you will be required to submit a second set of fingerprints. If the second set is rejected, depending on the reason the prints were not classifiable, you may be required to pay an additional CBC fee to the Board and then submit an additional set or sets of prints. Depending on the reason for the rejections, after a second set has been submitted, our office may be able to place a background check request with the BCA based only on your name and date of birth. It is a requirement under current Minnesota law that two sets of fingerprints be rejected before an alternative method is allowed. This part of the process can take up to one or two months as each time the prints are submitted we are required to wait for the results before we transmit another set. Rejections occur in about 3% of all board applicants.
Expedite your Fingerprints
Unfortunately, there isn't anything the CBCP can do to expedite your CBC. We have a two-week turnaround time on receiving your background check report after we have transmitted it to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). However, we receive about 90% of them in under two weeks and about 60% in less than one week.
So, what can you do to expedite your CBC? You can plan ahead. Don't put off completing your CBC until the last minute. The average time for a CBC to be completed from the time the fingerprint packet email is sent until the report is delivered to the board is 31 days. This average is for all completed CBCs. The actual CBC turnaround time depends on several variables. Please consider each scenario below:
- All forms and the fingerprint card are completed correctly. The average turnaround time from the date the initial CBC email is sent until the CBC report is delivered to the board is approximately one month. However, the average time for a report to be delivered to the board after the fingerprints/forms are received in the CBCP office is four business days.
- An applicant submits at least one set of fingerprints or forms that are non-compliant. For these applicants, the turnaround time between the initial CBC email and delivery to the board is two or three months. Here are some things to keep in mind regarding CBCs that fall into this category:
- Some applicants repeatedly submit erroneous forms/fingerprints. To avoid this, be sure to follow all instructions provided.
- The longest delay is the time it takes for corrected documents to be received. The average turnaround time between the date of notification of the error until the corrected items are received by CBCP is approximately one month.
- On average, corrected forms received in the CBCP office will take approximately one week to process.
- Even if the paperwork is submitted without any errors, some submissions are rejected by the FBI due to low fingerprint quality. When prints are deemed by the FBI to be “not classifiable,” the applicant must submit a second set of fingerprints. In these cases, the average time between the initial CBC email and the report being delivered to the board is approximately two months. You may initially submit two separate sets of fingerprints to avoid this delay.
These are averages only. Some way to shorten these times:
- Don't put off completing your application and paying the fees to the board until the very last minute. In most cases, the CBC fingerprint packet email will be sent to you the next business day after the fees have been paid. You cannot complete your CBC until you have received the email as it is the indication that we have received a CBC request from the board. Any fingerprints submitted before we have a CBC request from the board are considered "unsolicited" and will be destroyed.
- Submit your fingerprints and forms as quickly as possible after you receive the fingerprint packet email.
- Follow the directions provided. The time it takes to correct an error may include having to be fingerprinted again and/or mailing in a new form. If you get it right the first time, you'll avoid these delays.
- Watch the video or read the Tips for Improving Fingerprint Quality. Simply preparing before your appointment can help avoid delays caused when the FBI rejects your fingerprints.
