Reference library
Glossary
The vocabulary in this field is the main obstacle to reading the official material directly. Each entry gives the definition, the context it is used in, the terms it relates to, and where the term comes from.
A
- Apostille
- A certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates the origin of a public document so it can be recognized in any other Convention party without further legalization.
- Also hague apostille · apostille certificate
C
- CJIS Division
- The FBI division that maintains national criminal justice information systems and handles Identity History Summary requests.
- Also criminal justice information services · CJIS
- Competent authority
- The body a Convention party designates to issue apostilles for documents originating within its jurisdiction.
- Also designated authority
- Consumer reporting agency
- A company that assembles consumer information for third parties for employment and similar decisions, regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Also CRA · background screening company · FCRA
- Contributing agency
- The law enforcement or judicial agency that submitted a particular entry appearing on a criminal history record.
- Also originating agency · ORI
D
- Departmental Order 556-73
- The Department of Justice order, implemented at 28 CFR Part 16, Subpart C, that establishes an individual's right to obtain a copy of their own FBI identification record.
- Also DO 556-73 · departmental order · 28 CFR 16.30
- Direct submission
- Requesting an Identity History Summary from the FBI without an intermediary, either electronically or by mail.
- Also FBI direct · direct request · DIY · apply direct to the FBI
- Disposition
- The recorded outcome of an arrest — for example a conviction, an acquittal, or a dismissal.
- Also case outcome · final disposition
F
- FBI-Approved Channeler
- A private company approved by the FBI to submit an individual's fingerprints and request on their behalf and to receive the resulting Identity History Summary for delivery to them.
- Also channeler · approved channeler · FBI channeler · expedited · expedited FBI background check · fast FBI background check
- FD-1164
- The FBI's credit card payment form, used to pay the fee for a mailed Identity History Summary request.
- Also credit card payment form
- FD-258
- The FBI's standard fingerprint card, used to capture and submit an applicant's fingerprints in support of a request.
- Also fingerprint card · FD 258 · fingerprints · standard fingerprint form · applicant fingerprint card
- Fingerprint-based search
- A search of criminal history records keyed to fingerprints rather than to a name and date of birth.
- Also biometric search · ten-print search
H
- Hague Apostille Convention
- The Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, which replaced consular legalization with a single apostille among its parties.
- Also 1961 convention · apostille convention · hague convention 1961
I
- Identity History Summary
- The document the FBI issues to an individual listing the criminal history information maintained about them at the FBI under their fingerprints — or stating that no such information exists.
- Also FBI background check · FBI criminal background check · rap sheet · criminal history record · FBI clearance letter · FBI clearance · FBI police clearance certificate · police clearance certificate · PCC · US police clearance certificate · FBI report
- Identity History Summary Check
- The process by which an individual requests a copy of their own Identity History Summary from the FBI.
- Also departmental order request · record check
- Interstate Identification Index
- The national index through which criminal history records held by the FBI and by participating states are located and exchanged.
- Also III · triple-I · national index
L
- Lawful permanent resident
- A non-citizen authorized to live permanently in the United States.
- Also LPR · green card holder
- Legalization
- The multi-step process by which a document is certified for use in a country that is not a party to the Apostille Convention, ending with certification by that country's embassy or consulate.
- Also consular legalization · authentication chain · embassy legalization
N
- Name-based check
- A search of records by name and identifiers rather than by fingerprints, typically performed by a commercial data provider.
- Also database search · commercial background check
- No-record response
- The result issued when the fingerprint search locates no criminal history information at the FBI for the individual.
- Also no record · negative response · clean record
O
- Office of Authentications
- The office within the U.S. Department of State that authenticates federal documents for use abroad, issuing apostilles for Convention destinations and authentication certificates for others.
- Also department of state authentications · DoS authentications
P
- Police certificate
- The generic term immigration authorities use for a document from a national police or records authority evidencing an applicant's criminal history in that country.
- Also police clearance certificate · PCC · penal clearance certificate · criminal record certificate · good conduct certificate · certificate of no criminal record
R
- Recency requirement
- A rule set by a receiving authority requiring that a submitted certificate have been issued within a stated period before the application.
- Also validity period · document expiry · issued within
- Record challenge
- The procedure by which the subject of a record disputes the accuracy or completeness of information appearing on it.
- Also correction request · challenging your record · expungement
- Record subject
- The individual to whom a criminal history record pertains, and the only person entitled to request a copy of it under the departmental order.
- Also subject of record · data subject
S
- Sworn translation
- A translation prepared by a translator formally authorized by a state or court, whose certification the receiving authority recognizes.
- Also certified translation · traductor jurado · official translation