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Applicant Fingerprint Information

Under the authority of the Nursing Practice Act, all applicants and licensees must submit a full set of fingerprints for state and federal criminal history checks conducted by the California Department of Justice (DOJ). Licenses, registrations, and permits may be denied, suspended, or revoked based on criminal convictions. Fingerprints remain on file with the DOJ, which notifies the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) of any future arrests or convictions.

Applicants must first submit an application for licensure before submitting fingerprints. To comply with DOJ and FBI requirements, the Board requires all applicants to apply for licensure before completing Live Scan or hard card fingerprinting.

Click Here for additional discipline and convictions information.

There are two ways to complete the fingerprint requirement for RN licensure:

1) Live Scan (Preferred Method and the quickest)

Steps:

  1. Submit your RN application (Examination or Endorsement) through BreEZe and pay the licensing fee.
  2. After submission, you will receive an email with a link to a BRN Live Scan form and instructions.
  3. Complete Live Scan at a vendor located in California.

Important:

  • A Live Scan must be completed in California. The BRN cannot receive results from Live Scan vendors outside California.
  • You do not need to be a California resident at the time of submission, but the Live Scan service must be done within the State of California.
  • Results are typically received within a couple of weeks (often within 72 hours to appear in BreEZe).
  • If you plan to travel to California while awaiting licensure, consider using a Live Scan vendor in California for faster processing.

California Live Scan locations: https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations

2) Manual Fingerprints (Hard Card – FD-258)

If you are outside California and cannot complete Live Scan in California, you must use the FD-258 fingerprint card.

Fees:

  • A $49 hard card processing fee must be paid to the BRN.
  • If you applied through BreEZe, the total $399 fee ($350 Licensure by Endorsement Fee plus $49 DOJ hard card processing) includes the $49 hard card fee.
  • If not already paid, submit payment through BreEZe under “Hard Card Fingerprint Payment,” or mail a check/money order payable to the "California Board of Registered Nursing."
  • All fingerprint fees are non-refundable.
  • Hard cards received without payment will be destroyed.

Steps:

  1. Request an FD-258 card from the BRN (see below).
  2. Take the card to a local law enforcement agency (LEA) to have your fingerprints rolled.
  3. Ensure all fields are completed.
  4. Mail the completed hard card to the BRN (include your BreEZe application summary if you applied online, and please ensure the FD-258 is not folded).

Hard cards will not be sent to DOJ until the $49 fee is received.

Requesting an FD-258 Card

You may request one by:

  • Submitting payment through BreEZe ("Hard Card Fingerprint Payment") allow 10-14 business days for delivery; or
  • Submitting a Fingerprint Request Form, please allow up to three weeks to receive the card.

Click Here for instructions on how to complete the FD-258 for the California Board of Registered Nursing.

The FD-258 is the official FBI-approved fingerprint card and includes their required Privacy Act Statement.

Hard card processing may take several weeks to a few months.

After You Submit Fingerprints

Most fingerprint results automatically connect to your BreEZe account.

If your application still shows a deficiency:

  • Your results may be an "unmatched record."
  • DOJ, FBI, and BRN match fingerprints using first name, last name, date of birth, and Social Security number.
  • Errors (such as transposed numbers or incorrect formatting of hyphenated names) may prevent matching.

If needed:

  • Upload a copy of your completed Live Scan form under “Submit Additional Documents” in BreEZe, or
  • Contact the BRN for assistance (visit the BRN Contact Us page and select "Fingerprint Inquiries".)

If results are not properly matched, your license cannot be issued until corrected.

Types of Fingerprint Results

  • Clear: No convictions, or no convictions are reported.
  • Rejection: Usually due to poor print quality. The BRN will mail instructions for reprinting. No additional DOJ/FBI fee is required, but the Live Scan vendor may charge a fee. If rejected twice, the BRN will request a DOJ name search (no action required from you after the second rejection).
  • Delay: DOJ/FBI delays may take approximately 30–90 days. These delays cannot be expedited.
  • Invalid: The BRN will notify you within 14 days with further instructions.
  • Rap Sheet: The BRN reviews conviction history to determine compliance with licensure requirements.

For fingerprint-related questions, visit the BRN Contact Us page and select "Fingerprint Inquiries" to avoid response delays.