When applying for a new state license, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, and dentists often have to submit fingerprints as part of the background check process. If you’re applying for a license in a state that requires fingerprints, you essentially have two options: the ink method and digital fingerprinting. If you are a locum tenens provider looking for a job in another state, we recommend the ink method, because digital fingerprints cannot usually be sent across state lines. Otherwise, check out the pros and cons of each!
Where should I go to get my fingerprints taken?
UPS
UPS provides live scan fingerprinting services, and some UPS locations also offer fingerprint card services. If they are not available at your nearest UPS, you can probably still get a fingerprinting card delivered.
Printscan.com
PrintScan is a fingerprinting company with locations across the US. Check if there is a location near you where you can get your fingerprints taken.
IndentoGo
IndentoGo is another fingerprinting company with locations across the US offering digital & ink fingerprinting services You can also check locations where you can get ink or digital fingerprints taken by them.
Local Police Station
You can also get fingerprints taken at many police stations. Look up your local police station to check if they will take your fingerprints.
The Ink Method
Pros
Ink fingerprinting is generally allowed to be sent across state lines, unlike digital fingerprinting. This means that for locum tenens providers seeking a job in another state, you should pick the ink method.
Each finger pad is rolled in fingerprinting ink, then rolled onto a fingerprint card. Most states will accept the standard FD-258 fingerprint card, which has a space for each finger’s print as well as spaces for the left and right four fingers to be taken simultaneously. The pad also includes other identifiable information including: name, address, social security number, sex, height, weight, eye color, hair color, citizenship, and the reason for being fingerprinted.
Cons
The largest disadvantage of ink fingerprinting is the risk of an error resulting in the fingerprints becoming unusable. The ink on the card can get smudged, or the ink can fail to get all the ridges on each finger. Moisturizing your hands prior to getting fingerprinted can help raise your fingerprints, making them easier to read. This is particularly important for healthcare workers, because they frequently wash their hands, making them dry.
The Digital Method
Pros
Digital fingerprinting is more accurate than ink fingerprinting, making digital fingerprints less likely to get rejected. Furthermore, digital fingerprinting isn’t as messy as the ink method. Simply roll your fingers across a glass plate and the prints are scanned into a machine. Once they have your electronic fingerprints, they are then sent over to the designated facility.
Cons
If you have an out of state locum tenens assignment, you will probably need to get ink fingerprinting, as digital fingerprints usually cannot be sent across state lines. Digital fingerprinting is also usually more expensive
So which is the better option?
If you are a locum tenens provider seeking a job out of state, we recommend the ink method, because ink fingerprints can usually be sent across state lines, unlike digital fingerprints. This means that the ink method allows you to get your fingerprints taken within your state, even when applying for a license in another state.
Otherwise, consider the pros and cons of each. With the ink method, there are more locations available to have your prints taken. Digital fingerprinting is more accurate, which can save time in the long run. Great accuracy reduces the likelihood that the state board will reject the prints, and require you to start all over.
No matter what method you choose, remember that each time you apply for a license from a state that requires fingerprints, you will have to get a new set of prints taken. Fingerprint results can not be sent to multiple states and can only be used once when using the ink version. Some digital fingerprinting companies will save fingerprints in their system, so if they needed to be sent again (in that state), they they could. But that may not apply to all states in all situations.
Find Your Next Locum Tenens Job
Barton Associates is hiring locum tenens providers so check out our job board and get a locum job today!
This blog was written by the Barton Team in 2019 and was updated by Liliana French in July 2024.
