Teacher Certification
Fingerprinting Background Check
Washington State law requires teacher candidates to be fingerprinted for a record check through the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The cost of this record check is $46.25 with checks made payable to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (O.S.P.I.) to be mailed with the completed fingerprint card. In addition, fingerprinting agencies charge between $5 - $25.
It is highly recommended that you have your prints done digitally. Digital fingerprints take less time to process and fewer digital prints are rejected. Payment for digital printing is collected by the agency that does the prints, at the time you are printed.
If there isn't a digital fingerprint service near you, you can have your prints done with ink and paper. You can pick up a fingerprint card at the Teacher Certification Office in Miller Hall 250 or at your Teacher Education Outreach Program site.
Fingerprint clearance will expire after two years. It is your responsibility to repeat the fingerprinting process at least two months before the expiration date to ensure your clearance remains valid until you are recommended for certification. Fingerprint clearance is a requirement for internship and certification. You can be postponed or ejected from an internship if your fingerprint clearance lapses.
Please contact the WWU Teacher Certification Office via email CertOffice@wwu.edu or by phone at 360-650-4930 if you have questions. The Washington State Patrol cannot respond to questions regarding the status of your fingerprint clearance.
You may select one of the following two options to complete the fingerprint process:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why do we require fingerprint record checks for K-12 education employment and certification? |
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Fingerprint-based background checks help to safeguard children and strengthen public confidence in the integrity of public and private education. Fingerprint clearance is a practicum, internship and certification requirement. Woodring College of Education is under strict legal and contractual agreements to insure that our students have fingerprint clearance through the WSP and FBI. The law is detailed here: RCW 28A.410.010.
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What is digital fingerprinting? |
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Digital fingerprints look like a picture of all ten fingers, palm down. The technology used is called live scan; these machines take high-quality prints by scanning the applicant’s fingers electronically to create a digital image. Once scanned, the live scan system submits fingerprint image automatically to the Washington State Patrol (WSP). The electronic scanner is clean, easy to use, and eliminates the need to ink-and-roll fingerprints manually onto a special card.
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How do I get a digital fingerprint record check? |
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Here’s how to get your fingerprints into the background check process digitally.
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How long is my fingerprint clearance valid? |
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Two years from the clearance date from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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My fingerprints did not scan well and were rejected because of poor print quality. What do I do now? |
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If your live scan or inked card fingerprints are rejected because of poor quality, there are two alternatives. Alternative #1: get a second fingerprint card (inked or scanned)
Alternative #2: Go to the Olympia Washington State Patrol Office The Washington State Patrol never rejects prints that they take. If your prints are rejected several times for “poor print quality” we may suggest that you drive to Olympia WSP office. This is the only WSP Office in the state that does fingerprinting. Contact the WSP Customer Service Unit at (360) 534-2000 (press 2 for customer service) for details. The WSP Office is located at 3000 Pacific Avenue, Olympia and hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, except legal holidays.
Fingerprint clearance is a requirement for internship and certification. You can be postponed or ejected from an internship if your fingerprint clearance lapses. The timing can be a problem when prints are rejected. The Office of Field Experience can help you arrange for time away from your internship to travel to Olympia if this becomes an issue.
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I lost my rejected fingerprint card. What do I do now? |
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Write in red on the left hand corner of the new fingerprint card or live scan print out – WSP resubmit. This tells WSP that you have already paid the background check fee.
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Will I have to get new fingerprints every two years? |
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If you will not complete your program and be recommended for certification before your fingerprint clearance expires you must provide a new fingerprint record check. Your new clearance must be valid at the time of certification.
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Can I provide fingerprint record check results I had done for another government agency, the military, or for a gun permit, (or other) as a substitute for OSPI’s fingerprint check? |
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No. Washington State law does not allow substitute versions of any fingerprint record checks.
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Who receives my fingerprint results? |
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WSP/FBI send the results of fingerprint record checks to OSPI. The results reside in a secure database that designated staff from public schools, colleges, and universities, Washington’s school for the deaf and school for the blind can access online. OSPI can send the results of fingerprint record checks to private schools by letter.
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What happens if my fingerprint record check results show a Record of Arrest/Prosecution (RAP)? |
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OSPI will send you a copy of the record that they receive from the WSP/FBI. OSPI does not share RAP information directly with colleges and universities; however, a designated staff person in the Teacher Certification Office can view fingerprint record check results through a secure Web site.
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Can the FBI reject my fingerprints because of poor print quality? |
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Yes. If the FBI cannot accept your first fingerprint record, you must submit a new set of fingerprints. If the FBI rejects your fingerprint record a second time we will ask them for a Name and Date of Birth Clearance.
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Western Washington University Woodring College of Education Teacher Certification Office 516 High Street / Miller Hall 250 Bellingham, Washington 98225-9090
CertOffice@wwu.edu Telephone: (360) 650-4930 Facsimile: (360) 650-6583
