Florida Department of Education
Bureau of Educator Certification
Fingerprint Processing Steps for Eligible Applicants
Fingerprinting Applicant Instructions July 2012
Review “Submitting Fingerprints for Certification” instructions on the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Educator
Certification Website at http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/step4.asp. Determine the category under which you should proceed with
fingerprint processing.
1. Employees of Public Schools – processed directly by school district employer
2. Employees of Nonpublic Schools
3. Individuals Not Seeking Florida Employment
For categories 2 and 3 above, Request a BEC fingerprint packet only if you satisfy one of the following eligibility scenarios:
1. You Are Eligible for issuance of Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate as evidenced by your valid Statement of Status
of Eligibility (SOE) from the BEC.
2. You Are Eligible for issuance of a Florida Athletic Coaching Certificate as evidenced by your valid SOE from the BEC.
3. You Are Eligible for issuance of a Florida Educator’s Certificate as evidenced by your valid SOE and are employed by a
private school with a Florida state-approved Professional Education Competence (PEC) program. Consult with your
employer to determine approval status for the PEC program.
A BEC fingerprint packet includes an appropriate fingerprint card with instructions that outline the requirements for proper
completion. You may also choose to pursue one of the below Options for Live Capture Fingerprint Processing.
Please note: If an individual chooses to have his/her fingerprints processed prior to Florida employment for issuance of the
Professional Certificate, it may be necessary to have the fingerprints re-processed, and the individual may have to pay a second
processing fee as a condition of employment in a Florida public school.
Options for Live Capture (Livescan) Fingerprint Processing:
1. Register via a qualified Livescan Service Provider approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Review the FDLE
listing to locate possible options available in your area. There are numerous service providers within the state of Florida. Each of
these service providers is required to register and certify their devices with FDLE before submitting electronic criminal history
record check requests on behalf of an agency. Note: Non-public school employees should consult their employers for their
recommended livescan service providers and/or locations.
a. http://www.fdle.state.fl.us Select “Criminal History Records” under Search Our Systems
b. Click on the “
Livescan Service Providers” link at top of page.
c. Register for Fingerprint Processing with results provided directly to BEC. (See Specific BEC Requirements)
d. Pay nonrefundable fee for processing your fingerprint-based criminal history background check.
• Payment must be made directly to the selected Livescan service provider.
• Do NOT submit payment for fingerprint processing to FLDOE Educator Certification.
2. Review Print Site Locations and Register for submission via the Florida Applicant Services for Background Checks (FAS)
system supported by Cogent Systems Inc., the sole service provider under direct contract with FLDOE Educator Certification.
a. Visit Cogent FAS site at
www.cogentid.com/fl/index_fl.htm
b. Click “Print Location & Hours” link under Print Site Locations section for fingerprint site information
c. To register for livescan fingerprinting, Select “Register Online” under Registration section
d. Enter FL921620Z as CRI option to send results to FLDOE Educator Certification
e. Select payment type – Credit Card or Money Order ONLY – to pay nonrefundable processing fee directly to Cogent
• Do NOT submit payment for fingerprint processing to FLDOE Educator Certification.
f. Input all necessary Personal Information (Refer to Specific BEC Requirements)
g. Retain a copy of Transaction Receipt to bring to selected Print Site Location
Specific BEC Requirements:
- BEC authorized under §1012.56, Florida Statutes
- ORI = FL921620Z DOE/TEACHER/CERTIFICATION
- Originating Agency Case # (OCA) = Florida DOE #
- Social Security Number (SOC) Mandatory for BEC
- Date of Birth (DOB) must match BEC records
- Poor quality may be rejected and delay processing
Request a BEC fingerprint packet by contacting the BEC via:
Online: http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/mat_req.asp
Phone: (800) 445-6739, or
from outside U.S. (850) 245-5049
