Interstate Background Checks

Instructions: If you need a background check within the state of New Jersey but are no longer a resident, please email the Division of State Police, Criminal Information Unit, at [email protected]. We will supply you with a package, including a fingerprint card and full instructions. In the event you are unable to email you may call 609-882-2000 ext. 2918

If you are an out of state applicant but live, work, or attend school within a 10-mile radius of the New Jersey borders, you must report to an IDEMIA site to be fingerprinted. Please check the following list of zip codes. If your zip code is on the list, you must go to the nearest NEW JERSEY IDEMIA site to obtain a fingerprint based background check. 

Named-Based Only Criminal History Record Checks

The SBI 212B Form was developed to provide the following entities with the ability to request named-based only criminal history record checks by submitting a subject's name, date of birth, social security number, and other descriptive information:

• Governmental entities of this state, the federal government or any other state for any official governmental purposes, including, but not limited to, employment, licensing, and the procurement of services;
• A person or non-governmental entity of any state, that seeks to directly engage the services of the subject of the record, for purposes of determining the subject's qualifications for employment, volunteer work or other performance of services;
• Private detectives, licensed by the Division of State Police, for the purposes of obtaining information pursuant to their statutorily authorized functions.

If an authorized requester elects to conduct a more thorough check, based on fingerprint comparison, he/she may use Universal Fingerprint Form D. These responses will go directly back to the employer address that was listed on the Universal Form completed by the applicant.

SBI 212B requests can now be submitted online at https://www.njportal.com/njsp/212b/

The fee for an SBI 212B online submission is $20, payable by credit or debit card. Valid email addresses must be provided for both the requester (employer) and subject (employee) of the name-based criminal history record check. Payment can be made by either the requester (employer) or the subject (employee), but the subject must consent to the criminal history record check via the online verification process (with the exception of licensed private detectives performing their statutorily authorized functions.) The requester (employer) must initiate the online 212B process for the specific subject (employee). The subject (employee) can NOT initiate the process for the requester (employer).

The fee for online submissions by volunteer organizations (as defined below) is reduced to $12.

Licensed private detectives will need to setup an account on the website prior to submitting SBI 212B requests.

SBI 212B Forms MAY NOT be used for a person requesting his/her own criminal history record. Anyone wishing to receive his/her own record must submit fingerprints by utilizing Form A or B above, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:59-1 et seq.

Further questions regarding obtaining criminal history record background checks or noncriminal justice licensing/employment checks should be directed to the Criminal Information Unit at 609-882-2000 ext. 2918.

Instructions: To file an Out of State CARI application, visit https://www.njportal.com/dcf/cari then click the “File an Out of State CARI” button.

Out of State CARI Requests must be based on the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, the Hague Convention requirements, the Universal Accreditation Act (UAA) of 2012, or a law/statute/regulation from your state that requires the NJ DCF CARI Unit to process the CARI request. All requests must be electronically submitted with the correct requesting agency contact information.

How to obtain an Out-of-State CARI Background Check:

• Please cite the statute that requires you to obtain the child abuse/neglect background check(s) and identify the reason for the background check(s) (i.e. employment, domestic/international adoption for resource (foster) care.
• If other than an Adam Walsh, Hague Convention, or UAA of 2012 request, include a copy of the state statute which compels the disclosure of CARI information.
• The information that the CARI Unit requires on the individual includes all aliases (married, maiden names, nicknames), race, date of birth, and all addresses where the person(s) resided while living in the State of New Jersey. Please include timeframe (months/years) when the individual lived in New Jersey. If the exact address is not known by the individual, the city or county that he/she lived in during the timeframe will suffice. Social security number is optional.
• Identify the individual making the request, job title and phone number.
• Private adoption and foster care agencies must provide the agency license from the state where they are located.
• Please have the contact information for the requesting agency to submit your application. There are no fees for this background check.  Completed CARIs will be processed accordingly and returned to the requesting entity.