CA Private Security Officer (PSO)

PSO Guard Training in California

How to Get Fingerprinted & Complete Live Scan Form

How to Fill Out the Live Scan Forms and Get Fingerprinted

In order to become a proprietary private security officer, you must go through a background check by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI. The DOJ and FBI require a set of your  fingerprints to do the background check for your PSO registration. The way to get your fingerprints to the DOJ and FBI is to use the Live Scan System. Using Live Scan, your fingerprints are electronically submitted to the DOJ and FBI.

To use Live Scan to get your fingerprints for your private security officer registration:

Step 1. Download and Print the Live Scan Form

The California Live Scan form is (BCII 8016). You can get this form by downloading it from the BSIS Website at www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/livescan/index.shtml. Make sure you select the PDF form for Proprietary Private Security Officer Registration. After the form downloads, print one copy.

The form you get should be 4 pages. The last page is instructions for filling out the Live Scan form and the first 3 pages are 3 copies of the same 1 page form.

Step 2. Fill Out the Live Scan Form

Before going to get your fingerprints, you should fill out as much of the Live Scan form as you can. To fill out the form follow the steps below. Continue to Step 2a.

Step 2a. PSO Live Scan Form Part 1

Part I of the form as shown below is already completed by  the BSIS as this information is the same for all PSO applicants.

Step 2b. PSO Live Scan Form Part 2

Part 2 of the Live Scan form is the part you fill out with your personal information. Fill out all 3 copies with the same information.

  • Name of Applicant: Enter your Last, First and middle names. If you don’t have a middle name, leave that space blank above MI on the form.
  • Alias: Enter any aliases you have as a names. Aliases include a maiden name or if you have legally changed your name for any other reason, the name on your birth certificate. For instance if you were born Jonathon Chen Smith-Lopez and later shortened your name to Chen Lopez, you’d need to put Jonathon Chen Smith-Lopez as an alias.
  • Driver’s License No.: Enter your Driver’s License number, including the state.
  • Date of Birth: Enter your date of birth. This should match your date of birth listed on your driver’s license.
  • Sex: Put a check mark or X in the box next to your gender, Male or Female
  • Misc. No. BIL: Leave this as N/A.
  • Height: Enter your height in feet and inches, such as 5′ 11″. This should match your height listed on your driver’s license.
  • Weight: Enter your weight in pounds, such as 185. This doesn’t have to match your weight listed on your driver’s license as it is easy for people to gain or lose weight.
  • Misc No.: Leave this blank.
  • Eye Color: Your eye color, such as blue, brown or green. This should match what the color of your eyes is on your driver’s license.
  • Hair Color: Your natural hair color, such as black, brown, red or blonde. This should match what the color of your hair is on your driver’s license.
  • Place of Birth: Enter the the city, state and zip code of where you were born. If born outside of the United States also include the country you were born in, so that the background check can verify where you were born.
  • SOC: Enter your Social Security number.
  • Home Address: Enter your home address. Don’t use a post office box for this address. You must have a physical street address as your home address. The background check needs to verify where you live.

Did you fill out all 3 copies? If yes, continue to Step 2c. If no, finish all 3 copies before going to Step 2c.

Step 2c. Live Scan Form Part 3

You don’t fill any of this part out. The  person at the Live Scan office completes this part on all forms.

Step 2d. Live Scan Form Part 4

You don’t fill any of this part out. If you’re currently employed by a company that has to check the background of all its employees, you should complete this part. In most cases, you don’t have to fill out this part of them. If you have to fill out this part of the form, most likely your employer provides you this information.

Step 2e. Live Scan Form Part 5

You don’t fill any of this part out. The  person at the Live Scan office completes this part on all forms.

Step 2f. Live Scan Form Part 6

The last line of the form tells you where each of the 3 copies of the form should go once the forms are completed. You will keep a copy, the Live Scan office will keep a copy and you will send a copy to the BSIS once you have been fingerprinted.

Now that you have filled out all 3 copies of the form with your information, you can go get fingerprinted.

Step 3. Find a Live Scan Location near You

  • You must go to a physical Live Scan office to get your fingerprints. To find a listing of all Live Scan sites go to www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/livescan/index.shtml or contact the Bureau at (916) 322-4000.
  • If the hours the Live Scan location aren’t listed on the BSIS Website, call the location for their open hours.
  • If the Live Scan location doesn’t list its Live Scan fee on the BSIS Website, call the location for their Live Scan Fee and ask what forms of payment they take (credit cards, cash, checks, etc.). It is worth calling around to several locations to see if you can get a less expensive price as the cost can vary slightly by location.
  • Determine the total amount you need to pay the Live Scan site operator to process your fingerprints.

Step 4.  Go to the Live Scan Location You Found

  • With all 3 copies of the completed Live Scan form, go to the Live Scan office you found in Step 3 above.
  • Pay the Live Scan Operator the amount calculated in Step 3.
  • The people at the Live Scan office will take your fingerprint, complete Parts 3, 4 and 5 on the 3 copies of the Live Scan form and electronically send your fingerprints to the DOJ and FBI.
  • The Live Scan operator will keep 1 copy of the completed Live Scan form and give you the other 2 completed copies.

Continue to How to Complete and File BSIS Private Security Officer Forms.

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