Whether it's for a job, a professional license, a firearm permit, or your own peace of mind, getting a fingerprint-based background check in Missouri is a straightforward process once you know where to go.

Name-Based Search vs. Fingerprint-Based Search

Missouri offers two types of criminal record checks, and they are not the same:

Personal Identifier (name-based) Search — searched by name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Costs $15 and returns only open records: convictions, arrests less than 30 days old, pending charges, and active SIS probation. This is a "possible match," not a confirmed identity.
Fingerprint-Based Search — confirms identity through your actual fingerprints. Costs $20 for a state-only check (plus vendor fees) and returns a complete "positive match" record, including closed records: all arrests, dismissed or not-guilty charges, completed SIS probation, and anything otherwise expunged or closed under Chapter 610.

Most employers, licensing boards, and agencies that require a "fingerprint background check" specifically mean the second type.

How to Get Fingerprinted in Missouri

Go to MACHS — the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (machs.mo.gov) — which is the state's official portal for both types of background checks.
Register for a fingerprint appointment. If an employer or licensing agency is requiring the check, they will give you a registration number to enter; if you're requesting it for yourself, you can register directly.
Schedule a livescan appointment through IDEMIA, the state's fingerprint vendor, at one of their locations across Missouri. Livescan captures your prints electronically — no ink required.
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID to your appointment.
Pay the applicable fee at the time of service — a state-only check generally runs about $32 total ($20 state fee + $12 IDEMIA service fee); a state and federal check for authorized entities runs about $44.

How Long It Takes

Electronic fingerprint submissions are typically processed within 5 to 10 business days. Mailed fingerprint cards take considerably longer — generally 4 to 6 weeks — so the electronic livescan option is almost always faster.

What Shows Up on the Results

A fingerprint-based check returns a complete criminal history: all arrests (whether or not charges were filed), dismissals, not-guilty findings, and any suspended imposition of sentence — though an SIS that's still within its probation period is treated as an open record, while one that's been successfully completed becomes part of the closed record. If you've had a record properly expunged under Missouri's expungement law, it should not appear at all.

What If Something Shows Up That Shouldn't?

If your background check turns up an old conviction that you believe should have already cleared — or one you didn't know was still there — that's exactly the kind of issue an expungement can resolve going forward. And if a record reflects an arrest that never should have happened, or a charge that was dismissed, it's worth a conversation about your options.

Notarized Results

If you need notarized proof of your background check results — common for licensing boards or out-of-state applications — MACHS offers this for an additional $5 fee, selected at the time you submit your request.

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