How long does the fingerprint background check process take?
The time varies depending on a number of factors. There may be a delay in getting an appointment to be “rolled” (have your fingerprints taken). Once the Department of Justice receives the information, there may be delays depending on whether you have a criminal record or if the DOJ is unable to read the prints submitted. In addition, the DOJ may have internal delays related to work load. Currently, the EMS Agency is experiencing turnaround times that vary between same-day and 4 months. At this time, there is no way to predict how long it will take. The majority of records are sent to us within 3-5 working days, but there is no guarantee of that. It is advised that you do the background check early if you rely on your EMT certification for any reason.
