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When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:32 pm
by nightmare69
My CHL instructor said *once you mail off your packed about 10 days after DPS receives it they will mail you a letter telling you to go get your finger prints done.*

Ive seen others on the "Waiting Room" forum who got their finger prints done before or shortly after they mail off their packet. I was told I could not get mine done until DPS mails the letter saying I could, L1 Identity would not take anyone who did not have said letter. So how are people doing this without the letter? Someone explain this wizardy.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:35 pm
by Wodathunkit
Don't wait! Go get printed now, no since adding extra wait time to your license.
When you fill out your application on line you are emailed a bar code message telling you what you need. Tis bar code number is your "ID" for your finger prints. Go online to L1, enter your bar code number, and set an appointment.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:36 pm
by RX8er
I got mine a week or two before I submitted my paperwork. I don;t think the DPS can start the background check without your prints.

Did you fill out the application online? If so, it should have given you the ability to set up an appointment for your prints. In a lot of parts of the state prints are running 3-4 weeks backlogged.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:39 pm
by Jcubed
CHL Class 12/29/12
OnLine registration 12/30/12
Fingerprint 12/31/12
Packet Mailed 12/31/12

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:40 pm
by nightmare69
RX8er wrote:I got mine a week or two before I submitted my paperwork. I don;t think the DPS can start the background check without your prints.

Did you fill out the application online? If so, it should have given you the ability to set up an appointment for your prints. In a lot of parts of the state prints are running 3-4 weeks backlogged.
No I did the mail in app along with all the paperwork from the class, photos, notarization, copy of DL ect.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:43 pm
by nightmare69
Wodathunkit wrote:Don't wait! Go get printed now, no since adding extra wait time to your license.
When you fill out your application on line you are emailed a bar code message telling you what you need. Tis bar code number is your "ID" for your finger prints. Go online to L1, enter your bar code number, and set an appointment.

I did it snail mail, did I dun goofed?

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:27 pm
by The_Busy_Mom
nightmare69 wrote:
Wodathunkit wrote:Don't wait! Go get printed now, no since adding extra wait time to your license.
When you fill out your application on line you are emailed a bar code message telling you what you need. Tis bar code number is your "ID" for your finger prints. Go online to L1, enter your bar code number, and set an appointment.

I did it snail mail, did I dun goofed?
Hmmm. :headscratch Since you did not do an online application, you do not have a checklist. So that means your application is not in the DPS system, so they do not have an access code for you to give to L1 for fingerprints. My immediate thought would be that you will have to wait for DPS to receive your application, get it in the system, and send you out a letter that has your code so that you can go to L1. However, you might give L1 a call and see what their procedures are. There might be another way, but I am not sure. Maybe someone else will chime in who mailed in their application and give some more insight.

If I am correct, and you have to wait, you might be looking at 3-4 weeks or so before you would even get a letter back from DPS.

:txflag: TBM

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:35 pm
by Wodathunkit
The_Busy_Mom wrote:
nightmare69 wrote:
Wodathunkit wrote:Don't wait! Go get printed now, no since adding extra wait time to your license.
When you fill out your application on line you are emailed a bar code message telling you what you need. Tis bar code number is your "ID" for your finger prints. Go online to L1, enter your bar code number, and set an appointment.

I did it snail mail, did I dun goofed?
Hmmm. :headscratch Since you did not do an online application, you do not have a checklist. So that means your application is not in the DPS system, so they do not have an access code for you to give to L1 for fingerprints. My immediate thought would be that you will have to wait for DPS to receive your application, get it in the system, and send you out a letter that has your code so that you can go to L1. However, you might give L1 a call and see what their procedures are. There might be another way, but I am not sure. Maybe someone else will chime in who mailed in their application and give some more insight.

If I am correct, and you have to wait, you might be looking at 3-4 weeks or so before you would even get a letter back from DPS.

:txflag: TBM
This is correct. Sorry nightmare I thought you did the online application. Just sit back and wait...........and wait.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:39 pm
by nightmare69
The_Busy_Mom wrote:
nightmare69 wrote:
Wodathunkit wrote:Don't wait! Go get printed now, no since adding extra wait time to your license.
When you fill out your application on line you are emailed a bar code message telling you what you need. Tis bar code number is your "ID" for your finger prints. Go online to L1, enter your bar code number, and set an appointment.

I did it snail mail, did I dun goofed?
Hmmm. :headscratch Since you did not do an online application, you do not have a checklist. So that means your application is not in the DPS system, so they do not have an access code for you to give to L1 for fingerprints. My immediate thought would be that you will have to wait for DPS to receive your application, get it in the system, and send you out a letter that has your code so that you can go to L1. However, you might give L1 a call and see what their procedures are. There might be another way, but I am not sure. Maybe someone else will chime in who mailed in their application and give some more insight.

If I am correct, and you have to wait, you might be looking at 3-4 weeks or so before you would even get a letter back from DPS.

:txflag: TBM

I did not know I could do a online app. My CHL class gave us all the paperwork needed to send in at 1 time so I used the packet provided to me. He said it would be about 10 days before we received the letter from DPS to schedule out finger prints. So I guess I have to wait for the letter cause I can't get it done without it. For the people saying that L1 is 3 to 4 weeks behind on appointments? How long does it take to be finger printed?...5mins? I was hoping to schedule mine during my lunch break.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:43 pm
by Wodathunkit
Fingerprinting is the quick part, getting the appointment......that might take a little longer. Please keep the bored updated to how long your 10 days really takes.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:49 pm
by RX8er
nightmare69 wrote: I did not know I could do a online app. My CHL class gave us all the paperwork needed to send in at 1 time so I used the packet provided to me. He said it would be about 10 days before we received the letter from DPS to schedule out finger prints. So I guess I have to wait for the letter cause I can't get it done without it. For the people saying that L1 is 3 to 4 weeks behind on appointments? How long does it take to be finger printed?...5mins? I was hoping to schedule mine during my lunch break.

I think you / the instructor is being optimistic. I think the consensus right now is that it is taking DPS up to 3 weeks just to open your application to start the process.

The prints take about 15 minutes to complete but there are 15,000 people a month trying to get CHL according to a DPS rep I spoke with and normally there are 4000 to 5000. That is a LOT of prints to be done.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:35 pm
by nightmare69
Ill keep you posted on how long the letter takes to get to me. Is is really that bad trying to get a appointment? In east Texas we have 7 different locations to be printed, 1 is 10mins from my house. Ill just take the first available even if I have to take off work.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:37 pm
by The_Busy_Mom
nightmare69 wrote:
The_Busy_Mom wrote:
nightmare69 wrote:
Wodathunkit wrote:Don't wait! Go get printed now, no since adding extra wait time to your license.
When you fill out your application on line you are emailed a bar code message telling you what you need. Tis bar code number is your "ID" for your finger prints. Go online to L1, enter your bar code number, and set an appointment.

I did it snail mail, did I dun goofed?
Hmmm. :headscratch Since you did not do an online application, you do not have a checklist. So that means your application is not in the DPS system, so they do not have an access code for you to give to L1 for fingerprints. My immediate thought would be that you will have to wait for DPS to receive your application, get it in the system, and send you out a letter that has your code so that you can go to L1. However, you might give L1 a call and see what their procedures are. There might be another way, but I am not sure. Maybe someone else will chime in who mailed in their application and give some more insight.

If I am correct, and you have to wait, you might be looking at 3-4 weeks or so before you would even get a letter back from DPS.

:txflag: TBM

I did not know I could do a online app. My CHL class gave us all the paperwork needed to send in at 1 time so I used the packet provided to me. He said it would be about 10 days before we received the letter from DPS to schedule out finger prints. So I guess I have to wait for the letter cause I can't get it done without it. For the people saying that L1 is 3 to 4 weeks behind on appointments? How long does it take to be finger printed?...5mins? I was hoping to schedule mine during my lunch break.
Not real sure where you are located, but you could absolutely get your fingerprints done on your lunch break if you are close enough to a location. The thing is, when you get to L1 website to sign up for fingerprints, the website has a list of locations, and then drop-down boxes to pick times. If you are looking for a certain time, it may already be taken, so you will either have to go more into the future for that particular location, or choose another location that might have that time available, but that location may be farther from you. The more open you can be on the time of day, the more able you might be to get an appointment in the not-so-distant future!

:patriot: TBM

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:12 am
by nightmare69
Not real sure where you are located, but you could absolutely get your fingerprints done on your lunch break if you are close enough to a location. The thing is, when you get to L1 website to sign up for fingerprints, the website has a list of locations, and then drop-down boxes to pick times. If you are looking for a certain time, it may already be taken, so you will either have to go more into the future for that particular location, or choose another location that might have that time available, but that location may be farther from you. The more open you can be on the time of day, the more able you might be to get an appointment in the not-so-distant future!

:patriot: TBM
We have a L1 Identity 10mins from my house. Still waiting on the letter from DPS, others have told me it took a month to get.

Re: When to get finger printed?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:14 am
by RX8er
You could call L1 every couple days to see if they show you in the system yet.