What We Do

The Arizona Board of Fingerprinting is a state agency that does two things:

• Good-cause exceptions. The Board considers applications from individuals whose fingerprint clearance card has been denied or suspended by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and who are trying to demonstrate that they're rehabilitated and not recidivists. People who work with vulnerable populations—children, the elderly, or persons with developmental disabilities—normally need a card to work.
• Central-registry exceptions. The Board considers applications from individuals who have been disqualified after a central-registry background check. Individuals who have had substantiated allegations of child abuse or neglect are listed in a set of Department of Child Safety (formerly Child Protective Services) databases called the Central Registry. Employees of contractors, subcontractors, or offerors who provide direct services to children or vulnerable adults for the Arizona Department of Economic Security may be required to have a background check on the Central Registry. If they don't clear that background check, they may be eligible to apply to the Board to show that they are rehabilitated and not recidivists.