Delaware fingerprinting is handled primarily by the State Bureau of Identification (SBI), which operates nine locations across the state and takes appointments through IdentoGO’s online portal at uenroll.identogo.com. A state-only certified criminal history check costs $72; a combined state and federal check costs $85 when federal law requires it.1Delaware State Police. Obtaining a Certified Delaware Criminal History Walk-ins are not accepted, so you’ll need to book ahead with the correct service code for your specific purpose.
How to Schedule an Appointment
Everything goes through IdentoGO. Register online at uenroll.identogo.com, choose the service code that matches your reason for printing, pick a location and time, and pay when you book or at the appointment.2Delaware Courts. Adult Expungement Instruction Packet
The service code matters. Different processes use different codes, and using the wrong one usually means paying again. A few examples: the Permit to Purchase uses 27S8N2, expungement applications use 27S23V, and concealed carry applications use county-specific codes.3Delaware State Police. Permit to Purchase Your employer, licensing board, or the court should give you the correct code along with any paperwork you need to bring. If nobody told you a code, ask before you book.
Arrive on time. Late arrivals typically have to reschedule, and the next available slot can be days or weeks out depending on demand. Cancellations and changes go through the same IdentoGO portal.
Where to Get Fingerprinted
SBI runs nine fingerprinting sites: Wilmington, two in Newark, Middletown, two in Dover, Milford, Georgetown, and Seaford.1Delaware State Police. Obtaining a Certified Delaware Criminal History Every location uses LiveScan, an electronic system that captures high-resolution prints and transmits them directly to state and federal databases. It’s faster and more accurate than the older ink-and-card process.
Local police departments generally don’t do the printing themselves for employment or licensing purposes. Dover Police, for example, directs people to the SBI office at 600 S. Bay Road. Private vendors authorized by SBI also exist and can offer more flexible scheduling, though they add convenience fees on top of the standard processing costs.
What to Bring
You need a valid, government-issued photo ID. A Delaware driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or military ID all work. Expired IDs are not accepted; if you show up without proper identification, you’ll be rescheduled. The SBI’s registration page lists the full range of accepted documents.1Delaware State Police. Obtaining a Certified Delaware Criminal History
Bring any authorization or referral forms from your employer, licensing board, or the court. These forms usually carry an ORI (Originating Agency Identifier) number that routes your results to the right agency. Without the correct ORI, the prints get processed but the results may not reach whoever asked for them.
Immigration-related fingerprinting, such as for a visa application or naturalization, may require specific USCIS forms. Check your USCIS appointment notice for what to bring.
Fees and Payment
SBI charges $72 for a certified state criminal history check and $85 for a combined state and federal check. The federal check is only available when it’s mandated by law.1Delaware State Police. Obtaining a Certified Delaware Criminal History
IdentoGO accepts credit cards, money orders, and agency checks. If you’re paying by credit card, the cardholder has to be present at the appointment. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Agency checks must be made out to Idemia in the exact service amount.4Delaware State Police. DE IdentoGO Fee Payments Private vendors charge the same state and federal processing fees but add their own service fee on top, typically somewhere from about $10 to $50. If your employer or licensing board is covering the cost, they may give you an authorization code that IdentoGO accepts as payment.
When Fingerprinting Is Required in Delaware
The common trigger is that someone needs to verify you don’t have a disqualifying criminal history before granting a job, license, permit, or access to a vulnerable population.
Working or Volunteering with Children
Anyone working or volunteering with a child-serving entity in Delaware must complete a fingerprint-based background check through both SBI and the FBI, plus a Child Protection Registry check. The definition of a child-serving entity is broad: public and private schools, child care providers, residential facilities, youth camps, early intervention providers, and Department of Education employees, among others.5Justia. Delaware Code Title 31-309 – Background Checks for Child-Serving Entities and Other Organizations Child care licensing regulations separately require adult volunteers to be fingerprinted by Delaware State Police before they begin volunteering.6Legal Information Institute. Delaware Administrative Code 14 Del Admin Code 938-III-28.0 – Volunteers
Professional Licensing
Many Delaware professional licenses require fingerprinting. Registered nurse applicants, for example, must submit fingerprints at their own expense for both a state criminal history report from SBI and a federal report through the FBI.7Justia. Delaware Code Title 24-1928 – Criminal Background Checks of Registered Nurses Similar requirements apply in other regulated fields including private security, real estate, and law enforcement. Healthcare, education, and financial services employers routinely require fingerprint checks as well.
Firearms Permits
Delaware requires fingerprinting for both concealed carry licenses and the newer handgun qualified purchaser permit. For a concealed carry application, fingerprints must be taken by SBI within 45 days before you file, and you’ll use a county-specific service code when scheduling.8Delaware State Courts. Instructions for New Applications for a License to Carry a Concealed Deadly Weapon
The Permit to Purchase law, which took effect on November 16, 2025, added a separate fingerprinting requirement for anyone seeking a handgun qualified purchaser permit. It uses its own IdentoGO service code (27S8N2). SBI must issue a decision within 30 days of receiving a complete application.3Delaware State Police. Permit to Purchase
Expungements
If you’re applying for an expungement, your first step is scheduling an SBI fingerprinting appointment to obtain a certified criminal history report. The initial application fee is $72. After SBI reviews your application, you’ll receive documentation showing whether you qualify for a mandatory or discretionary expungement. A mandatory expungement requires returning signed paperwork within 30 days along with a $75 money order payable to the Delaware State Police.1Delaware State Police. Obtaining a Certified Delaware Criminal History
Correcting Errors on Your Record
Mistakes in criminal history records are more common than most people realize. A frequent scenario: charges were dismissed or expunged, but the court never notified law enforcement, and the old record still shows up. Other times a data entry error or a misidentification links someone else’s record to your prints.
Delaware law requires criminal justice agencies to keep records accurate and to correct inaccuracies when they’re discovered. When an agency finds materially inaccurate information, it must notify all agencies and other parties known to have received that information, and the originating agency has to take steps to fix the error.9Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 11 Chapter 85 – State Bureau of Identification
Start by requesting your criminal history report from SBI, which costs $72. Review every entry. If you find an error, file a formal challenge with SBI identifying the specific inaccuracy. SBI will investigate and, if confirmed, update state records and notify the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division when federal records are affected.
For expungement-related issues where dismissed or expunged charges still appear, contact the court that issued the expungement order to confirm it was properly processed and transmitted to law enforcement. Courts sometimes fail to complete that notification step, leaving outdated records in the system. If the problem persists after contacting the court and SBI, an attorney who handles criminal record corrections can move the process along faster than most people can on their own.