CA finger print cards??!!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 2, 2014

This is something you'd have to ask the California BON about. The hard card they may require that you do may simply be a standard fingerprint card that any US LE agency would have that they'd be able to send to the FBI. If you were to travel to California, you might be able to get a LiveScan form from the BON and have your fingerprints done that way, but I suspect that you'll have to use the hard card that the BON provides or suggests you use simply because you're not physically able to get to a California LiveScan operator.

Yes, while I'm a California Student Nurse, I've had my fingerprints done here for many things. I did have my prints done by hard card for an out of state license once and that was a standard card that a LiveScan terminal was able to print to. So, it may very well be possible that using a local standard hard card is allowable... but you'd have to absolutely certain it's the same hard card form, identical in every detail to what they should be sending you.

NedRN · Jan 2, 2014

In the case of California, the fingerprint cards are sent to the BON rather than the state justice department. So it is probably acceptable to mail the standard FD-258 for the Board to add the ORI number and BON details. But you do risk an additional slow down. I would try to call them first to make sure.

By far the best way to apply to California is to visit Sacramento in person. If there is any issue with the fingerprint cards, they will have to be redone, and that is fairly common. Livescan is far superior, even for nurses with poor definition from years of hand washing. If you use Livescan, it can take as few as two days to get your temp, with cards, well, there is no estimate possible. There are a couple of states that allow out of state Livescan, but California isn't one of them.

jks_05 · Jan 6, 2014

Yup, I waited for about a month for my fingerprint card. Eventually I ran out of time and just flew to Sacramento. The whole process only took a couple hours, and I had my license within a couple days since everything else had already processed.

Of course, about a week after I went to Sacramento, I got my fingerprint cards in the mail.

shoegalRN, RN · Jan 7, 2014

I went to my local police department, got fingerprinted, and sent the cards in with my initial application and didn't have a problem. It took about 2 1/2 months to get my license in hand.

cn4333 · Jan 8, 2014

Thank for all the replies! After a week, I finally got through to the BON in CA(via phone)!!! They said it was fine to get a finger print card through my local police dept. So i will get finger printed next week and i am so excited!!! I am applying for both my temporary and permanet licence. Hope it doesnt take to long!

NedRN · Jan 8, 2014

The chances are good that you will get the perm at the same time as the temp. For most applicants, the temp will only have a chance to be useful if you get the Livescan in California. But if your transcripts are delayed, or you are running a paper license verification, the temp might come in handy.

cn4333 · Jan 9, 2014

@NedRN...what do you mean by paper license?

NedRN · Jan 9, 2014

Before the internet and Nursys, you had to verify your licenses by snail mail and there are several states for which this is still the case. California is the really big one - once you have a California license, it will cost you $60 and a few weeks every time thereafter that you need to endorse into a state that requires every license ever held be verified.

ShelbyMaser · Apr 16, 2014

Hi everyone! I've been reading at several places that it can take weeks to obtain a fingerprint card from CA BON. My husband and I are on a pretty tight deadline, so I went ahead and got fingerprinting done locally yesterday and was able to submit everything in. I was just reading a previous reapply about some ORI number to write on the card? I didn't write such a number down, all I did was add a signature on the left, and was wondering if there was anyone else who did the same, but still got their license in a reasonable time frame? Hoping this doesn't slow down the process for my CA license!

NedRN · Apr 16, 2014

The BON will add the ORI number since they are getting the fingerprint card before the DOJ. That is not going to slow you down.

However, out of state applications are currently reported as taking 6 weeks best case. So don't count on a CA license on a tight schedule. The only way to significantly speed things up is to bypass fingerprint cards altogether by doing Livescan in California.

Coathanger838 · Apr 17, 2014

Can you use livescan in another state (AZ) for the California license?