Background Checks for School Employment

NOTICE:

• As of August 1, 2023, walk-ins will not be accepted after 4:00pm. You may drop off correspondence at the front desk but no visitors will be allowed to go to the Teacher Certification offices.
• House Bill 3398 is in effect. This bill mandates that any school district employee hired prior to July 1, 2020, who does not have a background check on file with OSDE must obtain one by June 30, 2022. 
• School administrators and human resource staff now have a tab on thier OECS dashboard that allows them to view all certified and support staff within their districts who do not have a background check on file with the OSDE.

Background Checks for School Employment

Background checks for school employment have two payment options. One is for $58.25 and the other is $45.00. The $58.25 route is typically a faster option than the $45.00 route.

Option 1: $58.25

• Location Choice A - Oklahoma State Department of Education

Fingerprints may be taken electronically at the Oklahoma State Department of Education by appointment only; Teacher Certification, Room 212; 2500 North Lincoln Boulevard; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.  **Please note, you must register before you get your fingerprints taken and bring your National Criminal History Record Check form provided by the district hiring you. Please visit  https://ok.ibtfingerprint.com/ to register.**

• Location Choice B - Satellite Site

Fingerprints may be taken at one of our satellite sites located around the state. These sites are an appointment only. You can visit the following website to schedule an appointment https://ok.ibtfingerprint.com/ or call (877) 219-0197 to make an appointment. Payment will be made during your appointment. You will need to fill out Application for National Criminal History Record Check at your district. NOTE: The district must mail or fax the application form to the Oklahoma State Department of Education in order to process background check.   

• Card scan - Identogo

If you wish to submit fingerprint cards, you mustnow register them online at https://ok.ibtfingerprint.com/ . You will now mail them directly to Identogo for processing. **Please note: If you choose to choose fingerprint cards, the processing time is 4-6 weeks**

Option 2: $45.00

• You must go to your local sheriff's office or police department and have your prints taken on a fingerprint card. The fingerprint card and national criminal history record check form must then be mailed to the Oklahoma State Department of Education for processing. The fee will be $45 payable by school purchase order number, certified check, school check, cashier's check, or money order made payable to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
  
  Only public schools with approved billing accounts at the OSBI may use school purchase orders. If paying by school purchase order, please include the purchase order number on the line provided in Part III. School districts using a purchase order number will receive a monthly billing statement from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; do not include payment with the search requests. THE OSBI WILL NOT ACCEPT PERSONAL CHECKS OR CASH.

Regarding Rejected Fingerprints

Why?

Fingerprints are rejected due to poor print quality. The OSBI and FBI will look at the fingerprints and determine if the quality of prints are acceptable. Some fingerprints are smudged when using ink prints and some are worn due to age, exposure to chemicals or continuous paperwork or damages due to medical conditions, to name a few. For these reasons, an individual will have to be reprinted in order to try and capture legible prints. The following is the process for reprinting when fingerprints are rejected.

What To Do Next

When fingerprints are rejected for school employment the applicant will need to check with the school district that submitted to background check request. The State Department of Education will send a notification to the school district and in turn, the district will notify the applicant that they need to reprint. When an applicant has submitted fingerprints for a second time and they are still rejected, they have the opportunity to go to the OSBI to be reprinted. When an applicant goes to the OSBI, there will be no additional costs to reprint. The applicant must take all original paperwork and the letter from the OSDE to be reprinted at the OSBI.