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Choose a fingerprint appointment that matches the program and submission instructions supplied by your employer, school, licensing board, or agency. An Arizona DPS clearance-card application filed online can use electronic or properly prepared paper fingerprints. Arrow provides paper-card capture and technician paperwork support; electronic clearance-card appointments follow the DPS portal’s vendor instructions.
Key takeaways
- Identify the required application before booking: a clearance card, an agency background check, and security guard registration have different routes.
- Electronic capture can produce a paper card. Confirm whether the appointment transmits prints to your application or produces physical cards.
- Use current application materials and the affidavit for your program. IVP and Non-IVP paper packets have different submission handoffs.
- Follow your PSP message for electronic clearance-card scheduling and reference information.
- Check current DPS service notices before booking. The October 2026 interruptions affect particular programs, not every fingerprint application.
- Call Arrow before traveling with your application type, paperwork, and reference information ready.
A fingerprint appointment can go perfectly and still produce the wrong submission. The technician captures readable prints, the applicant pays, and the employer later explains that the prints went through the wrong program. Choosing the correct Arizona process before booking is what prevents that problem.
Start with the instructions from the employer, school, licensing board, agency, or volunteer organization requesting your fingerprints. Find out which application you need, how the prints must be submitted, and who receives them. Then choose an appointment that supports that exact route.
Online applications and electronic fingerprints are separate choices
Two questions often get combined: “Can I apply online?” and “Do I have to use electronic fingerprints?” For an Arizona fingerprint clearance card, an online application can be followed by either the electronic option or properly prepared paper fingerprints. Your Public Services Portal, or PSP, message supplies the reference number and instructions. An online application does not automatically mean every nearby fingerprint business can transmit your prints to DPS.
There is a further distinction between capturing a fingerprint with a scanner and submitting it electronically. A scanner can produce a printed fingerprint card. Ask what actually leaves the appointment: a paper card for the required packet, or an electronic submission associated with your application. The Fieldprint glossary describes both Livescan and Livescan to Print services.
| Question | Paper fingerprint route | Electronic fingerprint route |
|---|---|---|
| What is produced? | A physical fingerprint card handled under the receiving program’s instructions | A submission through the program’s approved electronic channel |
| What should you confirm? | Required card, current forms, affidavit, envelope, reference information, and who sends the packet | Correct program, scheduling link, reference information, identification, and receiving agency |
| Does applying online decide this? | No. PSP clearance-card applicants can follow the paper option in their message. | No. Follow the electronic option for your specific application. |
| What can go wrong? | Wrong affidavit, missing packet, broken seal, incomplete identifiers, or incorrect destination | Wrong appointment reason, mismatched applicant information, or an unrelated vendor transaction |
The choice is practical once the receiving organization has given you the requirements. Travel distance and availability matter, but they come after compatibility with the application.
Identify the Arizona program before choosing a provider
“I need fingerprints for work” leaves several possibilities open. Arizona’s fingerprint clearance card, an agency fingerprint criminal history check, and security guard registration are different processes. A fingerprint business needs to know which one you are completing.
Fingerprint clearance card
The DPS Clearance Card Section handles this application. The requesting organization identifies the appropriate application reason and whether you need IVP or Non-IVP. DPS reviews eligibility and decides whether to issue a card. A technician captures prints and completes the required technician paperwork.
Agency fingerprint criminal history check
The DPS Applicant Processing Team processes authorized agency checks. Your agency supplies the purpose and submission instructions. The results go to the requesting agency. DPS explains that fingerprints and results cannot be transferred between this process and the clearance-card process.
Security guard or private investigator licensing
Use the DPS Licensing Unit instructions and current licensing forms. A fingerprint clearance card does not replace a security guard registration application. Guard applicants should also review the applicable training pathway through Arrow’s Arizona guard card training page.
If an employer’s email only says “get fingerprinted,” send a focused reply before spending money: “Do I need an Arizona fingerprint clearance card, an agency background check, or a licensing application? Please send the exact instructions and required application reason.” Keep that reply with the appointment information.
IVP, Non-IVP, Regular, and Level One mean different things
IVP means Identity Verified Prints. IVP and Non-IVP describe the application and fingerprint-verification process. Regular and Level One describe different clearance-card eligibility classifications. A Level One card can be IVP or Non-IVP; choosing paper or electronic collection does not select the classification.
Arizona DPS says IVP and Non-IVP use the same state and federal background check. Ask the requesting organization which process and statutory authorization apply to your work. The DPS clearance-card page explains these distinctions and links to the current application materials.
This is a common point of confusion for applicants who have held another card before. A previous employer’s requirements do not establish what a new employer needs. Bring the new organization’s instructions even if you already understand fingerprinting.
The 2026 changes applicants should check
A second change affects the paperwork that accompanies paper fingerprints. Under the January 2026 Non-IVP clearance-card update, paper fingerprints require the current Non-IVP Fingerprint Verification Affidavit. The technician completes the affidavit and seals it with the fingerprint card before returning the envelope. Use the current application download; an old saved packet may contain obsolete application reasons or privacy statements.
The Licensing Unit has its own affidavit. Its current Licensing Fingerprint Verification Affidavit requires the fingerprint card and affidavit in their own sealed envelope. Other application contents stay outside that inner envelope. The Licensing Unit also warns that outdated forms signed and received after September 1, 2026 will be rejected.
Check the document’s title as well as its date. A current clearance-card affidavit and a current licensing affidavit serve different programs. Similar names do not make them interchangeable.
How to prepare for electronic clearance-card fingerprints
For the electronic clearance-card option, follow the DPS Fieldprint scheduling guide:
- Submit the clearance-card application and complete payment in PSP.
- Open the fingerprint message in your PSP Message Center and save the reference number.
- Use the scheduling link in that message.
- Select the Fingerprint Clearance Card appointment reason and provide the required reference and identity information.
- Choose an available location, date, and time, then follow the appointment confirmation’s identification instructions.
The guide directs clearance-card applicants to the appointment reason rather than an invented Fieldprint code. If scheduling fails, compare your reference number, name, and date of birth with the application and the ID you will present. Account problems with the vendor and corrections to the DPS application have different support contacts.
Before reserving time off work or arranging transportation, read the confirmation completely. Check the location, appointment reason, required identification, and any rescheduling instructions. A reservation is useful evidence of an appointment; it is not evidence that DPS has already received or approved an application.
How to prepare for paper fingerprint cards
Paper collection requires preparation before the technician starts. Put the current instructions, forms, and identification together at home. Confirm what the provider supplies, what you must bring, and who will send the finished packet.
Online clearance-card application followed by paper prints
Bring the PSP reference number and the materials specified by the paper option in your message. For Non-IVP, that includes the current affidavit. For IVP, request the official packet through the PSP Message Center before the appointment, including the blue return envelope and required materials.
Wholly paper Non-IVP application
Download and complete the current application, then bring the current affidavit for the technician. The DPS Non-IVP update explains the submission: send the application, required payment, and sealed fingerprint envelope to the Clearance Card Section. Leave the technician’s sealed envelope intact.
Paper IVP fingerprints
Obtain the DPS IVP packet before booking. The technician verifies identity, completes the required fields, seals the materials in the official blue return envelope, and mails the packet to DPS. A.R.S. § 15-106 sets out the identity-verification and submission requirements for the education-related IVP process. The provider’s role in sending that packet is part of the process.
If you use a paper IVP application, request its application and packet directly from DPS. If you applied online and chose paper fingerprints, use the request instructions in PSP. Tell the provider which arrangement applies so the appointment matches the packet.
What to bring to an Arizona fingerprint appointment
A useful appointment folder answers four questions: Who are you? Which application is this? What does the technician complete? Where does the submission go?
| Item | What to check before leaving home |
|---|---|
| Identification | Bring valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID and any additional identification required by the appointment confirmation. |
| Requesting organization’s instructions | Keep the application type, required reason, and responsible contact together. |
| Application reference | Online applicants should have the correct PSP reference and message. Paper applicants should have the current application materials. |
| Paper documents | Confirm the exact card, affidavit, return envelope, and any packet supplied by DPS or your agency. |
| Payment information | Check the provider charge separately from the government application fee and any vendor charge. |
| Submission ownership | Know whether the technician, applicant, employer, or agency sends the materials. |
Ask about a name change or an ID discrepancy before the visit. Do not rewrite government forms or add a different application reason just to make the appointment proceed. A short delay to obtain the correct documents is easier to manage than an incorrect submission.
If fingerprints are requested by an out-of-state board, a federal program, or another organization, bring that organization’s instructions. Confirm that the provider can produce what it accepts. Arizona clearance-card materials should not be assumed to satisfy an unrelated program.
Choosing a fingerprinting provider near Glendale or Phoenix
Search results can tell you how close a provider is. They often say less about the submission it supports. Call with the exact application name instead of asking only, “Do you do fingerprints?”
- Can this appointment support the paper or electronic submission my organization requires?
- Which card, affidavit, and envelope do I bring, and which materials do you supply?
- What identification do you require?
- Who completes the technician fields and who submits the finished materials?
- What is the collection charge, and are extra cards or return visits charged separately?
- How do I arrange a visit, and what should I do if my documents are incomplete?
Arrow’s fingerprinting service supports paper-card capture and the technician portion of the required paperwork. Electronic clearance-card appointments follow the DPS portal’s vendor instructions. Call Arrow at (602) 863-1022 to confirm the paper appointment requirements before traveling to the Glendale office at 15410 N 67th Ave #11.
For a group, have the coordinator identify each person’s required process first. Ask Arrow about availability and arrangements after that information is ready. A group that mixes IVP, Non-IVP, licensing, and other applications needs individual paperwork checks even when everyone arrives together.
What happens after your fingerprints are taken
Keep your application receipt, appointment confirmation, and submission information. Record who sends the materials and what remains for you to do. Store the records securely, and use the official application channel for status questions.
For a clearance card, follow the PSP clearance-card status route. For an agency check, ask the requesting agency about the result. For guard registration, use the Licensing Unit’s process. A successful collection appointment does not establish clearance-card eligibility, complete every licensing requirement, or authorize an employer to treat an application as approved.
If you receive a rejection or a request for new prints, read the notice before booking again. Ask which document or print set must be replaced and whether the program specifies a particular return process. A rejection for fingerprint quality and a denial based on eligibility are different issues; the technician cannot resolve the latter by taking another set of prints.
Do not read a portal status estimate as an approval promise. Mailing, intake, fingerprint review, corrections, and eligibility review can involve different stages. Plan around your actual work or licensing deadline and ask the responsible organization what proof it requires.
Renewals may change whether you need an appointment
Before paying for new prints, confirm whether the task is a new application, renewal, or replacement. The DPS renewal guide explains that IVP renewals ordinarily use stored prints, although new prints may be requested if quality is insufficient. Non-IVP renewals require fingerprints as part of the application process.
Check the actual message for your application. If you cannot locate an IVP record, contact the Clearance Card Section for help with the appropriate IVP number. Booking a new collection appointment before resolving the record problem may add expense without fixing it.
Questions applicants ask before booking
Can I apply online and bring paper fingerprints?
Yes, for the Arizona clearance-card paper option described in PSP. Follow the message for your application and bring the correct reference and packet. Online payment and paper collection can belong to the same application.
Is electronic fingerprinting always the right choice?
Choose a method the receiving program accepts. Check the required process and current service availability before comparing location, cost, or appointment times.
Can Arrow submit electronic fingerprints to DPS?
Arrow’s published service is paper-card capture and technician paperwork support. Use your DPS message’s approved vendor route for an electronic clearance-card appointment.
Can I bring an old Non-IVP packet?
Download the current application and affidavit before the appointment. The 2026 DPS update requires current materials, and old packets may contain outdated reasons or omit the affidavit.
Should I open the sealed fingerprint envelope?
Keep it sealed and follow the submission instructions. If something appears missing or incorrect, contact the provider or responsible DPS unit for the proper correction process.
Does a clearance card satisfy a guard card application?
No. Arizona security guard registration has its own application, training, fingerprint, and review requirements. Use the Licensing Unit’s current instructions.
Does every renewal require new fingerprints?
No. IVP and Non-IVP renewal procedures differ. Check your current DPS renewal instructions before scheduling collection.
Get your paper appointment ready
Have the requesting organization’s instructions, current DPS materials, and application reference ready when you call. Explain whether you are applying online with paper prints or using a paper application. Ask about the collection fee, supplied cards, identification, scheduling, and the final submission handoff.
Review Arrow’s Arizona fingerprinting service page, then call (602) 863-1022 with those details. That gives the team the information needed to confirm your paper appointment requirements before you make the trip.
