FACT Clearinghouse
What is FACT Clearinghouse?
The FACT Clearinghouse is a repository of the DPS and the FBI fingerprint-based criminal history results.
The FACT Clearinghouse allows an authorized entity access to a consolidated response of the DPS and FBI criminal history fingerprint results, including an electronic subscription and notification service for new arrest activity on subscribed persons.
Only persons processed through Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas (FAST) are eligible for FACT. FAST is a service of the DPS that provides the electronic capture and submission of fingerprints for a fingerprint background check.
Fingerprint-Based Search Results
The criminal records stored at the DPS and the FBI are based on fingerprints submitted at the time of arrest.
The DPS and the FBI use Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) that take an electronic image of fingerprints submitted by FAST and compares it to fingerprints of persons previously reported to the DPS and the FBI as having been arrested in Texas or elsewhere in the Nation.
The DPS and the FBI have criminal history files of all arrests, prosecutions and court dispositions, if they have been reported to the DPS.
When a match is identified through either AFIS, the corresponding criminal history record is pulled from the DPS or the FBI system. FACT displays both results in one location.
Subscription Service
The subscription service notifies an entity of new activity to a Texas criminal history record and now with the implementation of FBI Rap Back, new activity on an individual’s national criminal history. Not only will the subscribing entity receive notifications of events that occurred within Texas, they will also receive notifications of events that occurred elsewhere in the nation.
Events that can generate a notification are arrests, record updates, Sex Offender Registry activity, and death notices. These notifications will help eliminate the need to re-fingerprint employees to determine if new activity has been received after the initial check.
Fees
Fingerprint submissions may have fees depending on the type of agency, type of applicant, and other factors, for example, agencies classified as Criminal Justice are not charged the viewing fee at any time.
FACT
|
One-time fee for customer
|
Idemia
|
DPS
|
FBI
|
|
Applicant
|
$10.00
|
$15.00
|
$12.00
|
|
Volunteer
|
$10.00
|
$15.00
|
$10.00
|
**Note these fees are basic fees and may not apply to all agencies. Please contact your agency if you have questions about your fingerprinting fees.
Displaying (viewing) an individual’s Texas & FBI Criminal Histories may incur a fee. If the fee is incurred, viewing costs $1.00, which grants a 31 day unlimited viewing period. This applies to each individual an agency views. A banner will be displayed indicating if the record is fee-based.
If an individual is fingerprinted for an agency, that agency has 31 days from when the fingerprinting results are first available in the Clearinghouse to Display the Texas & FBI Criminal Histories for an individual as many times as they would like. After this period, viewing charges apply as described above.
FBI Rap Back fees are included in the initial fingerprinting fee. If an applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements for FBI Rap Back and the agency decides to have the applicant re-fingerprinted, fingerprinting fees apply.