Rolled ink fingerprint cards done to acceptance quality — FD-258 for the FBI, police clearance certificate cards for authorities worldwide, and ink cards for employment, licensing and adoption. RCMP-accredited, walk-ins welcome, about 10–15 minutes.
Book Ink Fingerprinting →Ink fingerprinting is the traditional method: each finger inked and rolled by hand onto a physical card, nail edge to nail edge, so the full ridge pattern is captured. It is what you need whenever the authority asking for your prints wants a card in their hands rather than an electronic submission to the RCMP.
That covers more situations than most people expect. The FBI requires it. Most foreign police authorities require it. So do a number of employers, professional licensing bodies and adoption agencies — often because their process predates electronic submission, or because the card has to travel to a jurisdiction with no link to Canada's system.
Rolled ink prints on the FBI's FD-258 card — for immigration abroad, foreign employment or licensing, adoption, or anyone who has lived or worked in the United States and now needs their FBI record.
FBI fingerprinting details →Ink prints on the card format your consulate supplies, for police clearance and good-conduct certificates from authorities around the world.
Foreign police clearance →Some employers, professional colleges, regulators and adoption agencies specifically require an ink card rather than an electronic submission. Bring your instructions and we'll match the correct card and complete it to spec.
Book ink fingerprinting →Not sure which applies to you? Call 705-999-7903 and read us your letter — we'll sort it out before you make the trip.
Every authority has its own card format and its own submission route. These pages cover what we take, what to bring, and where the card goes:
Country not listed? We almost certainly stock the card. Call 705-999-7903 or see foreign police clearance fingerprinting.
The short version: if a Canadian body is asking, it's almost always digital. If the FBI or a foreign government is asking, it's almost always ink. Read your request letter for the words "fingerprint card" or "FD-258" — that's ink. "Certified criminal record check" is digital.
| Digital LiveScan | Ink / FD-258 Card | |
|---|---|---|
| How it's taken | Fingers scanned electronically — no ink | Rolled by hand in ink onto a physical card |
| Who accepts it | The RCMP, and Canadian bodies that rely on RCMP results | The FBI, most foreign police authorities, some employers and licensing bodies |
| Typical uses | Canadian employment checks, immigration and citizenship, record suspension (pardon), US entry waiver, vulnerable sector submissions | FBI Identity History Summary, foreign police clearance certificates, overseas employment and licensing, international adoption |
| What you leave with | Nothing to carry — the submission goes electronically to the RCMP | A completed physical fingerprint card that you submit yourself |
| Turnaround | RCMP results typically in days | Card is ready the same visit; the receiving authority sets its own processing time |
| Appointment length | About 10–15 minutes | About 10–15 minutes |
Need the digital side instead? See digital LiveScan fingerprinting. Need both — a Canadian check and a foreign clearance? We do both in the same visit.
Two valid government-issued photo IDs, plus any fingerprint card or instructions you were given. No card? We supply standard blank ink cards and FD-258s.
Each finger rolled individually by an RCMP-accredited technician, every impression checked for clarity before you leave, anything unclear re-rolled. About 10–15 minutes.
You send the completed card to the FBI, foreign authority, employer or agency that asked for it, following their process. We hand you a card that will stand up to review.
Digital LiveScan is offered by plenty of providers. Ink and FD-258 work is not — it is a hand skill, it needs the right card stock, and many offices simply don't do it. That's why our ink clients routinely drive past closer providers: from across Simcoe County, from York Region, and from the wider Greater Toronto Area.
We're at 231 Bayview Dr, Unit 202, Barrie — free parking, minutes off Highway 400, open Saturday and Sunday 9:00AM–1:00PM by appointment on top of full weekday hours.