State-Specific Information and Procedures
Each state has different departments and procedures for administering criminal background checks. Background checks also vary in how long they will take based on the kinds of information requested and the state in which they are conducted. Consult the table below for state-specific information concerning fees, contact information, and request forms to ensure that you can obtain the documents that you need in order to submit a successful criminal rehabilitation or temporary resident permit application.
| State | Agency or Department | Online address, Mailing address, or where to submit In-person | Contact Information | Fee | Approximate Processing Time |
| Alabama | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) | P.O. Box 1511Montgomery, AL 36192-1511 | (334) 242-4372 or (334) 242-4392 | $25.00 | |
| Alaska | Alaska Department of Public SafetyAttention: Records and Identification | 5700 East Tudor RoadAnchorage, AK, 99507http://bit.ly/Ln8je9 | (907) 269-5767 or (907)-269-5765 | $25.00 (name-based) or $35.00 (fingerprints) | |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Public Safety Criminal Identification Section | P.O. Box 6638 Phoenix, AZ,85005 | (602) 223-2000 | $65.00 or $67.00 | 5-8 weeks |
| Arkansas | The Arkansas State PoliceAttention: I.D. Bureau | 1 State Police Plaza DriveLittle Rock, AR, 72209http://bit.ly/L8pEJp | (501) 618-8500 | $25.00 | |
| California | The California Department of JusticeBureau of Criminal Identification and InformationAttention: Record Review Unit | P.O. Box 903417Sacramento, CA, 94203-4170http://bit.ly/M9Mpjb | (916) 322-2209 or (916) 227-3849 | $32.00 | |
| Colorado | The Colorado Bureau of Investigation Identification UnitContact: Frank Vanecek | 690 Kipling Street, Suite 3000Denver, CO, 80215 | (303) 239-4300 or (303) 239-4208 | $13.00 | |
| Connecticut | The State of Connecticut Department of Public SafetyState Police Bureau of Identification | 1111 Country Club RoadP.O. Box 2794Middletown, CT, 06475-9294http://1.usa.gov/M4hzIL | (860) 685-8270 | $36.00 or $50.00 | |
| Delaware | The Delaware State Police | 1441 North Dupont Highway(P.O. Box 430)Dover, DE 19903-0430 | (302) 739-5871 | $52.50 (only State) or $69 (State and Federal) | |
| District of Columbia | The Metropolitan Police DepartmentAttention: Criminal History and Records | 300 Indiana Avenue N.W.,Suite. 3055Washington, DC, 20001Request PD Form 70 in person | (202) 727-4245 | $7.00 | 24 hours or 6-8 weeks for finger-print FBI checks |
| Florida | The Florida Department of Law EnforcementAttention: Criminal Records Inquiry Section | P.O. Box 1489Tallahassee, FL 32302-1489http://bit.ly/JOO8uJ | (850) 410-7000 | $24.00 | |
| Georgia | Georgia Crime Information CenterGCIC/CCH Identification Services | P.O. Box 370748Decatur, GA 30037-0748 | (404) 244-2639 | $20.75 | 10-14 business days |
| Hawaii | State of HawaiiDepartment of the Attorney GeneralHawaii Criminal Justice Data Center | Kekuanao’a Building, Room 101465 South King StreetHonolulu, HI 96813Fill request form online at http://bit.ly/K70T5j | (808) 587-3279 | $20.00 | |
| Idaho | The Department of Law EnforcementCriminal Identification BureauBCI Applicant UnitContact: Maria Wiley, Unit Supervisor | 700 South Stratford Drive,Ste 120Meridian, ID 83642http://bit.ly/K76qJf | (208) 884-7130 | $10.00 | |
| Illinois | The Illinois State PoliceBureau of Identification | 260 North Chicago StreetJoliet, IL 60431-1060Fill request form online at http://bit.ly/do3ye1 | (815) 740-5160 | $20.00 | |
| Indiana | The Indiana State PoliceCriminal History Limited Check | P.O. Box 6188Indianapolis, IN 46204-6188http://1.usa.gov/KEUCM5 | (317) 233-5424 | $7.00 | Minimum 5business days |
| Iowa | The State of IowaDepartment of Public SafetyDivision of Criminal InvestigationBureau of Identification | 215 E. 7th StreetDes Moines, IA 50319 | (515) 725-6066 | $15.00 | 2-5 business days |
| Kansas | The Kansas Bureau of InvestigationAttention: Records | 1620 South West Tyler StreetTopeka, KS 66612-1837Fill Request Form Online at http://bit.ly/JGKjmN | (785) 296-8200 | $35.00 | |
| Kentucky | The Department of State Police Records | 1250 Louisville RoadFrankfort, KY, 40601http://bit.ly/NzSTqV | (502) 227-8700 ext. 8713 | $20.00 | |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State PoliceBureau of Identification | P.O. Box 66614Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70896http://bit.ly/KY1DGp | (504) 925-6095 | $26.00 | |
| Maine | The State Bureau of Identification | 45 Commerce DriveState House Station 42Augusta, ME 04333-0042Fill Request Form Online at http://bit.ly/JGO7V0 | (207) 624-7240 | $41.00 | |
| Maryland | The State of MarylandDepartment of Public Safety and Correctional ServicesCJIS Central Repository | P.O. Box 32708Pikesville, MD, 21208 | (410) 764-4501 | $34.50 | |
| Massachusetts | The Commonwealth of MassachusettsExecutive Office of Public SafetyCriminal History Systems BoardCriminal Justice Information | Suite 2200200 Arlington StreetChelsea MA, 02150http://1.usa.gov/JH9R30 | (617) 660-4600 | $25.00 | |
| Michigan | The Michigan State PoliceCriminal Records Division | 106 W. AlleganLansing, Michigan 48933 | (517) 322-1956 | $30.00 | 3-5 Weeks |
| Minnesota | The Department of Public SafetyBureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) | 1430 E. Maryland AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55106 | (651) 793-2400 | $8.00 | 2 weeks |
| Mississippi | Criminal Information CentreSpecial Processing Unit | 3891 Highway 468 WestPearl, MS 39208 | (601) 933-2600 | ||
| Missouri | The Missouri State Highway PatrolCriminal Records & Identification Division | P.O. Box 9500Jefferson City, MO 65102 | (573) 526-6153 | $16.50 | |
| Montana | The Montana Department of JusticeLaw Enforcement Services Division Attention: ID Bureau | 303 North Roberts – 4th FloorP.O. Box 201403Helena, MT 59620-1403 | (406) 444-3625 | $32.25 | |
| Nebraska | The Nebraska State PatrolCriminal Investigation DivisionRecords and Identification | Box 94907Lincoln, NE, 68509-4907http://bit.ly/NAPxUD | (402) 471-4545 | $15.00 | |
| Nevada | Department of Public SafetyRecords Bureau | 333 West Nye Lane, Suite 100Carson City, NV 89706http://bit.ly/KKIrgT | (775) 684-6262 | $21.00 | |
| New Hampshire | The New Hampshire Department of SafetyDivision of State Police | 33 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03305http://1.usa.gov/KaQuix | (603) 271-2538 | $25.00 | |
| New Jersey | Department of Law and Public SafetyDivision of State Police, CIUAttention: Records and Identification Section | P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ, 08628http://bit.ly/JQ3Hm1 | (609) 882-2000 ext. 2991 | $41.00 | |
| New Mexico | The Department of Public SafetyRecords Section | P.O. Box 1628, 4491 Cerrillos Street, Sante Fe, NM 87504-1628http://bit.ly/KrPay9 | (505) 827-9233 | $44.00 | 7-15 Working Days |
| New York | The New York StateDivision of Criminal Justice Services | 4 Tower Place, Albany, NY 12203-3764http://bit.ly/NAV4ua | (518) 485-7675 | $60.75 | |
| North Carolina | The North Carolina State Bureau of InvestigationDivision of Criminal Information | 3320 Old Garner Road Raleigh, NC 27626-0500http://bit.ly/LsZYrF | (919) 662-4509 Ext. 6266 | $25.00 | |
| North Dakota | Bureau of Criminal Investigation | Box 1054, 4205 State Street Bismark, ND 58503 | (701) 328-5500 | $29.50 | |
| Ohio | The State of OhioOffice of the Attorney GeneralBureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation | P.O. Box 365, London, OH, 43140http://1.usa.gov/NE0On6 | (740) 845-2000 or 1-877-224-0043 | $8.00 | |
| Oklahoma | The Oklahoma State Bureau of InvestigationCriminal History Information | 6600 North Harvey, Building 6, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 | (405) 848-6724 | $19.00 | |
| Oregon | Oregon State PoliceUnit 11 | P.O. Box 4395, Portland, OR, 97208-4395http://1.usa.gov/Lw8tSC | (503) 378-3070 | $33.00 | |
| Pennsylvania | The Pennsylvania State PoliceCentral Repository | 1800 Elmerton Avenue Harrisburg, PA, 17110-9758Fill Form Online At http://bit.ly/3d6G7t | (717) 783-5588 | $10.00 | 2-3 weeks |
| Rhode Island | State of Rhode IslandOffice of the Attorney GeneralBureau of Criminal Identification | 150 South Main Street Providence, RI, 02903 | (401) 421-5268 | $5.00 | 7 Business Days |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Law Enforcement DivisionS.L.E.D. Records | P.O. Box 21398 4400 Broadriver Road Columbia, SC, 29221 | (803) 896-7005 | $25.00 | |
| South Dakota | Office of Attorney GeneralThe Division of Criminal Investigation | 1302 E. Highway 14Suite 5, Pierre, SD 57501http://bit.ly/MynNmT | (605) 773-3331 | $43.25 | |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Bureau of Investigation | 901 R.S. Gass Blvd. Nashville, TN 37216Fill Form Online At http://bit.ly/M9aerv | (615) 744-4095 | $29.00 | |
| Texas | The Texas Department of Public SafetyAttention: Crime Records Division | P.O. Box 15999, 505 North Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX, 78761-5999http://bit.ly/Md32GE | (512) 424-2079 | $24.95 | |
| Utah | Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification | 3888 W. 5400 Street Taylorsville, Utah 84129http://1.usa.gov/LmBXjO | (801) 965-4445 | $15.00 | |
| Vermont | The Department of Public SafetyVermont Criminal Information Center | 103 South Main Street Waterbury, VT, 05671-2101http://bit.ly/Kd2IqM | (802) 244-8727 | $30.00 | 5-7 days by mailor 10 minutesin person |
| Virginia | Department of State | P.O. Box 85076 Richmond, VA 23261-5076http://bit.ly/Lm9NJy | (804) 674-2000 | 15.00 | |
| Washington | The Washington State PatrolIdentification Division | P.O. Box 42633 Olympia, WA, 98504-2633http://1.usa.gov/KMDfZW | (360) 534-2000 | $17.00 | |
| West Virginia | West Virginia State Police | 725 Jefferson Road South Charleston, WV, 25309Fill Form Online At http://bit.ly/Lvl1JN | (304) 746-2170 | $28.85 (State Only) | |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of JusticeCrime Information Bureau | P.O. Box 2688 Madison, WI, 53701-2688Fill Form Online At http://bit.ly/L0NE2x | (608) 266-7314 | $7 (by internet) $12 (if mail/fax) | |
| Wyoming | The State of WyomingDivision of Criminal Investigation | 316 West 22nd Street Cheyenne, WY, 82002 | (307) 777-7523 | $15.00 | 10 business days |
Each state has different departments and procedures for administering criminal background checks. Consult the table below for state-specific information concerning fees, contact information, and request forms to ensure that you can obtain the documents that you need in order to submit a successful criminal rehabilitation or temporary resident permit application.
The tragic events of September 11th, 2001 propelled changes even further placing added conditions of entry on the notably friendly border. As of June 1st, 2009 the full provisions of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative were implemented which required any foreign national to present their passport or equivalent document in order to enter the United States. Similarly, American citizens now need to present their passports to enter Canada. The process of entering Canada also has additional steps for any American citizen with a criminal record.
Depending on the circumstances of a particular case, foreign nationals have two options in terms of overcoming their inadmissibility to Canada; the short-term solution of acquiring a Temporary Resident Permit or the permanent solution of Criminal Rehabilitation. While slightly different in their outcome, both of these options require submitting applications to a Canadian consulate in the United States. Among the requirements of these paperwork-heavy applications are state police clearances, and in some cases FBI clearances. The title of such documents can vary by state, but they all serve the same purpose of outlining offenses incurred by an individual.
A state police clearance can offer immigration officials an official and trusted account of the applicant’s criminal history within the jurisdiction of the specified state. An application is strengthened when a background check from the Federal Bureau of Investigation is also included, as it discloses one’s criminal history in all of the United States.
To acquire state police clearances individuals must make requests through the individual states. For your convenience, all state websites, prices and application forms (for certain states) can be found at FWCanada’s website at /state-clearance-policies/. For information concerning FBI background checks conducted through the FBI, please consult http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/submitting-an-identification-record-request-to-the-fbi. An additional option for TRP and criminal rehabilitation applications is found in FBI-approved Channelers. These channelers are private businesses who have secured contracts with the FBI enabling them to receive, collect, and forward all relevant FBI data. To enquire about FBI-approved channelers please visit http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers.
For more information on Temporary Resident Permits, Criminal Rehabilitation and all matters involving Canadian Immigration visit the FWCanada website and follow us on twitter @FWCanada.
