Fingerprinting

Who is required to be fingerprinted? 

• Any person applying for first-time issuance of a Nebraska certificate/permit, who has not been a resident of Nebraska for the five (5) years prior to the date of application (and has not previously held a Nebraska certificate or permit) must submit fingerprints taken via LiveScan OR ink rolled for use in an FBI national criminal history record information check.
• The applicant will also need to pay an additional background check fee alongside their application fee.
• Please note, if you attended an out-of-state college or institution, you are required to have fingerprinting done, even if your permanent address is Nebraska.

Where do I get my fingerprints taken?

• The Nebraska State Patrol offers LiveScan fingerprinting, as well as online scheduling and payment services, at each of their Troop Area Headquarters. More information and how to book your appointment can be found online at: https://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/services/fingerprinting.
  • Note: When scheduling your appointment with NSP, please make sure to select the “Appointment Type” as Teaching Certificate and “Appointment Details” as Nebraska.
• Aside from NSP locations, applicants may be fingerprinted at any law enforcement or third-party agency that offers fingerprinting services, inside or outside of Nebraska, provided their prints are recorded on FD-258 fingerprint cards and include all required information. A sample card can be found here: Fingerprinting for Nebraska Certification.
• The Nebraska Department of Education does not offer on-site fingerprinting services and cannot accept electronic fingerprint submissions; whether an applicant is printed via ink roll or LiveScan, physical fingerprint cards must be provided via mail. If using LiveScan at a Nebraska State Patrol office, they will send our office confirmation of fingerprinting.

How do I request a fingerprint packet from the Department? 

• If you are wanting a fingerprint packet, you may request one by emailing us at nde.tcertweb@nebraska.gov.

If I need to send in my fingerprints, where do I send them?

• You can mail two copies of your fingerprint cards to:

Nebraska Department of Education
Educator Certification
P.O. Box 94987
Lincoln, NE 68509-4987

How long does it usually take to get clearances back? 

• The length of time depends on how busy our office is, how busy NSP is and how much (if any) additional information we may need to get from you.
• Once your background check has been completed through NSP, they go through our legal department for a check. Once they have passed the legal department, we are able to issue a full certificate/permit.

What if I have a job coming up and I don’t think my clearances will be back in time?

• A conditional permit may be issued while the department waits for the fingerprint clearances if requested by a school district. In order to issue the conditional, the fingerprint fee must be paid, and the cards must be at the Department of Education.

I already got my fingerprints taken for my job (or another department in Nebraska), can’t I just use that? 

• Unfortunately, agencies are not able to share fingerprints or background check information. Each agency is required to run their own background check.