Obtaining Fingerprint Cards

International Family Services

Submitting Finger Print Cards

One of the requirements for the Hague Convention is that we keep on file finger print cards of management personnel and of anyone who “works directly with parent(s) and/or children.”

A completed FBI Form FD-258 for
each such individual in the United
States in a senior management position
or who works directly with parent(s)
and/or children, which the agency or
person must keep on file in case future
allegations warrant submission of the
form for a Federal criminal background
check of any such individual (22 CFR §96.35(c)(4)).

So, please obtain finger prints of yourself and return the card to IFS. Many states and federal agencies have gone to an electronic scan. This will not work because IFS needs to keep this specific paper card, FD-258, in your file.

If you need a card, please contact richard@ifservices.org and we will mail you the FBI card FD-258.

You have a couple of options.

1. Ask your local police department (city, then county, then state police stations) to print you. Most law enforcement agencies will not charge a fee, if they do them.
2. See if there are any officially recognized (by the state) private finger printing contractors in your area that will do this. They are probably electronic scanning sites but may also do the old fashion card as well. The State of Texas has selected a company to conduct most, if not all, of its finger printing in non-criminal situations (for example, teachers, nurses, and adoption agency staff, among others, all need to be finger printed as part of their employment or licensing requirements). Your state may have contracted with such a company as well. These companies will likely charge a fee.
3. If all else fails, locate a rubber ink stamp pad (black) and follow the FBI’s instructions (or see FBI, Taking Legible Fingerprints). This web site has a PDF and a video clip. The video is brief and shows the finger rolling for a print. But you should be able to follow the printed instructions and easily make a print without viewing the video.

• Practice on some blank paper before going to the card, especially with the side to side roll and the “all the fingers” on the bottom of the card.
• If you take this route, then write a brief note that states the efforts you took to try options 1) and 2). Send it to me with your card.

An the top of the FD-258 card are some blanks for your information that should be filled in. See this sample card showing what blanks to be filled in. Please be sure to complete the highlighted items. The ORI will be left blank. Once printed, return the card to IFS in the return envelope provided.