FGCU University Police

Fingerprinting

Fingerprinting at FGCU
04/30/2009

Since 2004, fingerprinting has become quite common at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).  Certain positions within the University and many of our college programs require a criminal history/background check on individuals applying for these positions/programs.  A background check" is a criminal history record check to determine if a person has been arrested and/or convicted of a crime.  The reason for the check is the job they are undertaking or the program they are entering, by law, requires protection of children, the elderly and the disabled.  Section 435.04 F.S mandates that Level 2 background security investigations be conducted on employees, defined as individuals required by law to be fingerprinted pursuant to Chapter 435.

The criminal history obtained from this fingerprinting is a "Level 2 background check" and is defined in Florida Statute 435.  Level 2 refers to a state and national fingerprint based check, and applies to those employees, or volunteers designated by law as holding positions of responsibility or trust.  The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Volunteer & Employee Criminal History System (VECHS) fingerprinting process involves a search of the following databases:

• The Florida Computerized Criminal History Central Repository for Florida arrests (STATE CHECK)
• The Florida Computerized Criminal History Central Repository for Florida arrests AND the national criminal history database at the FBI for federal arrests and arrests from other states (STATE AND NATIONAL CHECK) and
• The Florida Crime Information Center for warrants and domestic violence injunctions (HOT FILES CHECK)

The FGCU Police Department is a qualified VECHS entity through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).  All criminal history/background checks are electronically transmitted to FDLE.  After FDLE checks their statewide database, they then forward fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI) for a check of their national database.

Our state of the art fingerprinting system is LiveScan which allows electronic scanning of fingerprints, as well as electronic submission to the FDLE, and the FBI.  We generally have results of the criminal history/background check available within one week.

The fee is $40.00 for fingerprinting students, considered volunteers in some college programs, such as Nursing, Physical Therapy, Clinical Laboratory Science, Athletic Training, etc.

The fee is $55.00 for printing FGCU employees (when mandated by state law), usually covered by the hiring department.

Any questions about the fingerprinting process at FGCU, including times our officers are available to print, may be directed to Police Dispatch at 239-590-1900.