AGENCY PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS FOR NONCRIMINAL JUSTICE APPLICANTS
Authorized governmental and non-governmental agencies/officials that conduct a national
fingerprint-based criminal history record check on an applicant for a noncriminal justice purpose
(such as employment or a license, immigration or naturalization matter, security clearance, or
adoption) are obligated to ensure the applicant is provided certain notices and that the results of
the check are handled in a manner that protects the applicant’s privacy. All notices must be
provided in writing.
1
These obligations are pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, Title 5, United
States Code (U.S.C.), Section 552a, and Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 50.12,
among other authorities.
• Officials must ensure that each applicant receives an adequate written FBI Privacy Act
Statement (dated 2013 or later) when the applicant submits his/her fingerprints and
associated personal information.
2
• Officials must advise all applicants in writing that procedures for obtaining a change,
correction, or update of an FBI criminal history record are set forth at 28 CFR 16.34.
Information regarding this process may be found at
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks
and
https://www.edo.cjis.gov.
• Officials must provide the applicant the opportunity to complete or challenge the accuracy
of the information in the FBI criminal history record.
• Officials should not deny the employment, license, or other benefit based on information in
the FBI criminal history record until the applicant has been afforded a reasonable time to
correct or complete the record or has declined to do so.
• Officials must use the FBI criminal history record for authorized purposes only and cannot
retain or disseminate it in violation of federal statute, regulation or executive order, or rule,
procedure or standard established by the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact
Council.
3
The FB
I has no objection to officials providing a copy of the applicant’s FBI criminal history
record to the applicant for review and possible challenge when the record was obtained based on
positive fingerprint identification. If agency policy permits, this courtesy will save the applicant the
time and additional FBI fee to obtain his/her record directly from the FBI by following the
procedures found at 28 CFR 16.30 through 16.34. It will also allow the officials to make a more
timely determination of the applicant’s suitability.
Each agency should establish and document the process/procedures it utilizes for how/when it gives
the applicant the FBI Privacy Act Statement, the 28 CFR 50.12 notice, and the opportunity to
correct his/her record. Such documentation will assist State and/or FBI auditors during periodic
compliance reviews on use of FBI criminal history records for noncriminal justice purposes.
Name:
Date:
1
Written notification includes electronic notification, but excludes oral notification.
2
See https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/compact-council/privacy-act-statement
3
See 5 U.S.C. 552a(b); 28 U.S.C. 534(b); 34 U.S.C. § 40316 (formerly cited as 42 U.S.C. § 14616), Article IV(c);
28 CFR 20.21(c), 20.33(d), 50.12(b) and 906.2(d).
Updated 11/06/2019