FAST - Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas

[xHypex]

I've been reading up on Texas CHL info for a little while, but while reading the DPS site I came across Locations for Fingerprinting
on the main site

Has anyone done electronic fingerprints, and if so how do you send them in? From what I've read the person who fingerprints you must also sign the back of one of the passport photos, so do you get passport photos taken first and then go take the electronic fingerprints? The DPS website doesn't really give any instructions so any comments are appreciated.

Thanks,
-hype

[Flatland2D]

The San Antonio police headquarters uses electronic fingerprinting, and that's where I got mine done. They feed your fingerprint card into a printer and it prints each finger in the correct box just as if you used ink. And yes, you need your passport photos taken before fingerprinting and one of them must be signed on the back by the person that prints you, and you must sign it too. They also must sign your fingerprint cards.

[Greybeard]

Instructor here and this addition to DPS web site is indeed "New". And I spent several minutes going through the links and never did find a listing of specific locations in Tejas.

Or cost. In the past, fingerprinting agencies could charge $10. (Lewsiville PD charges $10 per card!) And yes, both the applicant and individual doing the fingerprinting are supposed to sign the back of one of the 2 passport photos.

I did my DPS Instructor Renewal school back in Sept. and recall no mention of this. Maybe some other more-recently-edumacated instructors will chime in shortly.

[xHypex]

First, the locations page is located here on the Identix website. I went through and did a mock purchase and the cost is $9.95 so its reasonable.

I also went through more of the info and found another page with some "detailed" presentation type slides.
Read the PDFs at the bottom

I'm going on a roadtrip in May and would really like to do everything possible to expedite my application, so is my best bet to go to Walgreens and take passport photos for $8, then get these digital prints for $10, and include inked prints from my class just so that my application won't get kicked back? I realize the processing time varies, but I'd like to do my part to allow DPS to hot shot my packet through if at all possible.
-hype

[Greybeard]

Thanks for posting. Your "here" is a link I'd not found. It looks like the've presently got more places "pending" than operational.

FWIW, one other "incidental" items that your CHL class may or may not include is notarization of the 3 affidavits.

[stevie_d_64]

Technology sounds great...

But I have to wonder if they'll reject the prints in Austin because they are not "real" impressions, they are electronic renderings of the original???

They may be good for investigations, records and evidence in trial...

But for CHL and other "permits and licenses"...

Who knows...Maybe they already accept them...

I wonder if I could get an electronic file of my prints, and re-submit them every 5 years now??? I could keep them on a "flash memory stick", and plug it right in and print them out myself...

It'd be more efficient, cost-effective, and make too much sense to do so...

Thats why it would fail...

[onerifle]

Florida has been using electronic prints for quite awhile, and it evidently has the ability to streamline the process quite a bit- a friend of mine there had a three week wait from initial application to CHL issue using electronic prints.

Hopefully we'll have the same experience here. :)

[xHypex]

Technology sounds great...

But I have to wonder if they'll reject the prints in Austin because they are not "real" impressions, they are electronic renderings of the original???

With the electronic prints you still have to go to the site in person, provide ID, etc. There are also two options at the site: 1) Send prints directly to the DPS and 2) Print out the cards like what is normally used with inked prints. For some reason, the DPS wants you to use the latter of the two methods; I'm guessing the reason being that you can send the prints together with the application info rather than having the office tie your application to data in a DPS database somewhere.

Either way, I'm planning to include both inked and electronic prints in my application once I take my class Feb 18th so I'll keep track of the dates and see if it improves the ~60 days most people are experiencing right now.
-hype

[AG-EE]

When I got my CHL 4 years ago, I went to the Collin Co. Sheriff's dept, and they did my electronic fingerprints free of charge. DPS and the FBI took them without any problem.

[Greybeard]

One of my CHL students from last week scheduled an appointment with these folks in Dallas for 11:45 this morning. She's one who is up against the wall deadline-wise and must have her renewal stuff to Austin by Friday. So, I went with her to see the new routine.

We were both rather disapponted. It seems the operator there did not yet have her printer. And there was going to be a substantial additional charge to have them printed elsewhere (Missouri?) and overnighted.

Hopefully just "start-up pains", but certainly not "FAST" in her case. She drove back to Flower Mound PD for fingerprinting the old fashion way. And to pray ...

[xHypex]

I finally made it by the Austin IIS office this week to get my prints done. 15 minutes after walking in and I was back out the door. The service was great, and I can see how rolling inked prints would be more difficult. The person who took my prints mentioned that electronic submission to the DPS should be available sometime soon, but since its not ready yet she just printed out FBI cards for me.

At $9.95 I think the service is worth it, especially if it cuts down on my application time at all.
-hype

[one eyed fatman]

I just got my electronic fingerprints done at the Katy police dept a few days ago. Cost was 10.00 till they discovered I was a Katy resident. FREE! FREE! FREE!

[Greybeard]

I learned from DPS this week that at some point in the future, CHL applicants' prints with this method will not require printed cards - and the digital photo they take may replace the hard copy of passport photos.

IF their plan of 2% or less rejects due to inadmissable fingerprints on the FBI card does hold true, THAT in itself will save lots of folks some grief.