7947 Johnson Street, Suite A, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Mon–Fri 9:30–5:00 · Sat 10:00–2:00 by appt
Walk-ins welcome Mon–Fri
7947 Johnson Street, Suite A, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Mon–Fri 9:30–5:00 · Sat 10:00–2:00 by appt
Walk-ins welcome Mon–Fri
Home / Frequently Asked Questions
Fingerprinting, drug testing, background screening, passport photos, and notarization all follow different requirements depending on the employer, government agency, license, application, or screening program involved.
Fingerprinting requirements are determined largely by the organization requesting the prints. Knowing whether you need Live Scan, fingerprint cards, Level 2 screening, or another fingerprint format before arriving can prevent an incorrect submission. ESS Identity Center answers common appointment and service questions below so individuals and employers can understand what to prepare, which service applies, and what happens after completion.
Visitors can also explore fingerprinting services, review drug testing options, learn about background checks, get passport photos, or book an appointment directly.
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and any instructions supplied by the employer, agency, school, licensing board, or organization requesting your fingerprints. Florida electronic fingerprint submissions may also require a specific ORI number. Physical card requests can require a particular fingerprint card or destination information.
Scheduling ahead is the safest option because fingerprinting requests are not all interchangeable. Confirm whether you need FDLE Live Scan, Level 2 screening, FBI fingerprint cards, ATF EFT fingerprinting, or another service before booking so the correct capture and routing process can be used.
Follow the instructions from the organization requesting your fingerprints. Florida agencies often use electronic Live Scan submissions, while some federal, out-of-state, professional, or international requests require physical fingerprint cards. A Live Scan submission should not automatically replace a card-based request or vice versa.
Fingerprints can only be useful when the correct destination and screening purpose are known. If the request requires an ORI, agency code, fingerprint card, or other routing information, arriving without those instructions can lead to an unusable or incorrectly routed fingerprint transaction.
Yes. Fingerprint submissions can sometimes be rejected because the captured ridge detail is not sufficient for processing. Dry skin, worn fingerprints, scars, or other physical factors can affect quality even when proper capture procedures are followed. The receiving agency determines whether another submission is required.
Fingerprint capture is only one stage of a larger screening workflow. Result access, processing time, card acceptance, and reuse depend on the agency or program receiving the fingerprints.
Not necessarily. The fingerprinting provider primarily captures and submits the fingerprint transaction. Criminal-history information or eligibility results are usually delivered through the agency, employer, licensing board, Clearinghouse, or other authorized screening system associated with the request.
There is no single turnaround time for all fingerprint background checks. Processing can vary depending on the agency, fingerprint quality, criminal-history review, statutory screening program, and whether additional research is needed. The fingerprint provider does not control how quickly the receiving agency completes its review.
The FD-258 is a standard FBI fingerprint card used for physical fingerprint submissions. It is commonly requested for certain federal, out-of-state, licensing, employment, and personal identity-history purposes. The receiving agency should tell the applicant whether an FD-258 or another fingerprint card is required.
Only when the requesting agency accepts physical cards. Florida programs requiring electronic submission generally expect fingerprints through the designated Live Scan pathway. Physical fingerprint cards are more common when another state, federal agency, licensing organization, or outside institution specifically requests a card.
Not automatically. Fingerprints may be linked to a specific employer, ORI, agency, statutory purpose, or retained-screening program. Some Florida systems permit qualifying retained fingerprints or screening sharing, but an earlier transaction should not be assumed valid for every future employer, license, or agency.
Florida fingerprint screening often depends on routing information and the exact statutory screening program involved. Level 2 screening is a specific fingerprint-based process and should not be used as a generic term for every fingerprint background check.
An ORI, or Originating Agency Identifier, tells the fingerprint-processing system which agency or screening program should receive the transaction. Applicants should obtain the exact ORI from the employer, licensing agency, school, or organization requesting the screening rather than choosing one based on a similar profession.
An incorrect ORI can route fingerprints to the wrong agency or screening purpose. The fingerprint provider submits the transaction using the routing information supplied, so applicants should verify the ORI with the requesting organization before the appointment rather than expecting the fingerprint location to determine it.
A Florida Level 2 background check is a fingerprint-based state and national criminal-history screening used for positions or licenses subject to applicable Florida screening requirements. It differs from a general name-based background check because fingerprints are used to search state and national criminal-history databases.
No. FBI fingerprint cards, ATF EFT files, FDLE Live Scan submissions, federal fingerprint requests, and other fingerprint services can all involve fingerprints without necessarily being Florida Level 2 screening. The requesting agency determines which fingerprint process or statutory screening program applies.
AHCA Clearinghouse retained fingerprints generally require renewal every five years for qualifying individuals who need continued eligibility within the Clearinghouse system. The employer or regulated provider should track renewal timing and initiate the appropriate process before the retained fingerprint period expires.
Workplace drug testing can fall under federal DOT rules or a separate non-DOT employer program. Confirming the testing authority before collection helps determine the correct specimen, documentation, and testing pathway.
DOT drug testing follows federal transportation testing rules for covered safety-sensitive employees. Non-DOT testing follows an employer’s, school’s, organization’s, or private testing program instead. The test reason, specimen requirements, paperwork, panel, and reporting process can therefore differ substantially.
No. DOT testing only applies to employees performing covered safety-sensitive transportation functions under an applicable federal program. Many employers use non-DOT workplace drug screening for applicants or employees whose positions are not subject to DOT drug and alcohol testing rules.
Bring valid identification and the testing authorization or instructions provided by the employer, C/TPA, school, or requesting organization. The order should identify the test category and other information necessary to collect the correct specimen under the appropriate DOT or non-DOT program.
No. Non-DOT testing does not have one universal mandatory panel. Employers and other organizations can request different testing configurations based on workplace policy, program requirements, and applicable law. The requested panel should be confirmed from the testing order rather than assumed.
Yes. Employers can use separate background screening and drug-testing services within the same hiring workflow when appropriate. The background check verifies selected records or applicant information, while drug testing evaluates a specimen under the requested workplace testing program. The two processes remain separate.
DOT testing is defined by federal transportation rules rather than by ordinary workplace policy. The employer or authorized program representative should identify the applicable test reason and regulated employee category.
DOT programs recognize testing reasons such as pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion or cause, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up testing. Which tests apply depends on the employee’s safety-sensitive role and the requirements of the DOT operating agency governing that position.
A covered FMCSA driver generally cannot perform regulated safety-sensitive commercial driving duties until the employer has received the required negative pre-employment drug-test result. Employers are responsible for ensuring the applicable pre-employment testing requirement is completed before assigning covered work.
Yes. DOT return-to-duty and follow-up drug-test collections are conducted under direct observation. These tests occur after a qualifying DOT violation and form part of the regulated process an employee must follow before and after returning to safety-sensitive duties.
Refusal can involve failing to appear, leaving before completion, failing to provide a required specimen without an adequate medical explanation, failing to cooperate with the collection, or refusing required direct observation when applicable. DOT regulations define specific refusal circumstances.
DOT-regulated testing must follow the specimen and laboratory procedures authorized under federal rules. An ordinary instant or point-of-collection test should not be substituted for the official DOT testing process simply because it produces a faster preliminary result.
A background check is not one universal search. Employers and organizations may need different combinations of criminal history, identity, employment, education, or driving-record verification depending on the decision being made.
A background check may include criminal records, identity verification, employment history, education verification, driving records, or other authorized screening components. The correct scope depends on the job, volunteer role, licensing requirement, or organizational purpose rather than one standard screening package.
No. Criminal record screening can be one component of a broader employment background check. Employment screening may additionally involve identity verification, prior employment, education, motor vehicle records, or other job-relevant information selected for the hiring process.
When an employer obtains a third-party consumer report for employment purposes, federal FCRA requirements generally include disclosure and written authorization before the report is obtained. Employers can also have additional responsibilities if they later consider taking adverse action based on information in the report.
Applicants have rights to review and dispute inaccurate consumer-report information. When an employer considers adverse action based on an employment background report, the required process can give the applicant an opportunity to review the report and address potentially incorrect information before the final decision.
No. An MVR focuses on driving and driver’s license history. A criminal background check focuses on criminal-history information. Motor vehicle record screening is most relevant when driving responsibilities matter to the position, while criminal records answer a separate screening question.
Passport and visa photographs are identification documents rather than ordinary portraits. Size, background, facial position, recency, and image format can all affect whether a photo is suitable for submission.
A printed U.S. passport photo must measure 2 by 2 inches. The applicant’s head must also fall within the required size and positioning range, which means simply cropping any photograph into a square does not automatically make it suitable for a passport application.
U.S. passport and visa photos generally need to have been taken within the previous six months and should reflect the applicant’s current appearance. An older photograph should not be reused solely because the applicant believes their appearance has not changed significantly.
Glasses are generally not allowed in U.S. passport photographs. Limited medical exceptions can apply when glasses cannot be removed for medical reasons, and the required supporting documentation is provided. Sunglasses and ordinary tinted eyewear are not acceptable alternatives.
Passport images should represent the applicant’s real current appearance. Filters, facial retouching, artificial background replacement, or other edits that alter the person’s appearance or outline can make the image unsuitable for identification-document purposes.
No. Similar-looking document photos can have different physical dimensions, digital specifications, quantities, backgrounds, or submission requirements. Applicants should follow the instructions for the exact passport, visa, USCIS form, foreign government application, or identification document being submitted.
Many ESS services connect with broader hiring, licensing, identity, or compliance workflows. The organization requesting the service usually determines the correct screening pathway and what happens after the appointment.
Yes. Employers can refer multiple applicants for fingerprinting, but each person’s transaction must remain connected to the correct ORI, agency, statutory purpose, and screening instructions. Employers should provide applicants with consistent routing information before they arrive for fingerprint capture.
Mobile or workplace collections can support qualifying employee groups, hiring events, and workplace testing programs when the service and collection environment are appropriate. Each donor’s test remains an individual collection, and regulated DOT testing must still follow the applicable federal procedures.
The fingerprint provider does not usually determine eligibility. The employer, government agency, licensing body, Clearinghouse, school, or other authorized organization receives or reviews the screening information and applies the standards relevant to the job, license, or program.
The collection site does not independently make the employment decision. The collector obtains and documents the specimen, while laboratory analysis, medical review when applicable, employer policy, and relevant regulations determine the final result and what action follows.
Start with the instructions from the employer, government agency, school, licensing authority, or organization requesting the service. Determine whether you need Live Scan fingerprinting, Level 2 screening, fingerprint cards, DOT or non-DOT drug testing, a background check, passport photos, or notarization before scheduling.
Notarization is about the signer, the requested notarial act, and the certificate attached to the document. It does not automatically make the underlying document legally valid or confirm that every statement in it is true.
Bring the complete document, acceptable identification, any required signers or witnesses, and instructions identifying the requested notarial act. If the document does not state whether an acknowledgment, jurat, or another act is required, contact the receiving organization before the appointment.
An acknowledgment involves a signer confirming that they executed the document. A jurat involves the signer swearing or affirming a statement connected with the document. Because these are different notarial acts, the correct certificate should be determined from the document or the receiving party’s instructions.
The answer depends on the requested act. A jurat generally involves signing in connection with an oath or affirmation before the notary, while an acknowledgment focuses on acknowledging execution. Traditional notarization still requires personal appearance for the notarial act being performed.
A notary can explain available notarial acts but should not provide legal advice by deciding which certificate produces the legal result a customer wants. When the required act is unclear, the signer should obtain instructions from the receiving organization or a qualified legal adviser.
Prepared business, estate, and real estate documents can contain signatures requiring notarization. However, the notary performs the requested authorized act rather than providing legal advice, drafting the document, deciding transaction terms, or determining whether notarization alone makes the document legally sufficient.
The fastest way to avoid an incorrect fingerprint submission, wrong testing category, or unnecessary appointment is to begin with the instructions from the organization requesting the service. ESS Identity Center can then help match that requirement to the appropriate available fingerprinting, drug-testing, background-check, photo, or notary service.
