FD-258 Fingerprint Cards for Mortgage Loan Originators (NMLS) Applying Out of State

If you live or work in Illinois and are applying for a mortgage loan originator (MLO) license, that state’s board almost always requires an FBI fingerprint-based background check — and, because you’re out of state, it usually wants your prints on a physical FD-258 card mailed in rather than an electronic Illinois submission. Efficient Biometrics is an Illinois-licensed fingerprint vendor in Naperville that rolls FD-258 cards on-site, ready for you to mail to your state regulator through the NMLS.

• Card: FBI FD-258 ink fingerprint card, rolled on-site
• Submitted to: your state regulator through the NMLS in the state where you’re applying
• ID required: valid, unexpired Driver’s license
• Location: Naperville, IL — please call ahead; walk-ins welcome, same-day appointments

Who needs this fingerprint card?

You need an FD-258 fingerprint card if you live or work in Illinois and are applying for a mortgage loan originator (MLO) license from your state regulator through the NMLS in another state that asks for a mailed, ink-rolled FBI fingerprint card.

The federal SAFE Act requires MLOs to authorize a fingerprint-based FBI background check through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS); some states still accept or require a physical card.

Why out-of-state boards ask for a physical FD-258 card

When you already live or work in Illinois and apply for a license in another state, that state’s board can’t send you to its own in-state Live Scan network. Instead, most boards require your fingerprints on a physical FBI FD-258 card that you mail in with your application. Efficient Biometrics rolls that card for you on-site in Naperville. A few boards instead require electronic submission through an approved FBI channeler — check your board’s instructions, and if you’re unsure, call or text 847-436-5222 and we’ll help you confirm whether a mailed FD-258 card is what you need.

How the fingerprint-card process works

1. Call or text 847-436-5222 before you come in. Walk-ins are welcome, but because we also run mobile appointments, a quick call makes sure someone is at our Naperville location when you arrive.
2. Bring your valid, unexpired Driver’s license, plus any blank fingerprint card, coversheet, or ORI/agency information your licensing board mailed or emailed you.
3. We roll your fingerprints onto the FBI FD-258 card on-site and check each impression for quality to reduce the chance of an FBI rejection. If your board requires more than one card, we can roll additional sets.
4. You take the completed card(s) with you and mail them to your licensing board — or to the state bureau or channeler the board designates — along with your application and any fee. If you’d rather not handle the mailing yourself, we also offer document shipping and can send your card by FedEx, UPS, or USPS with a tracking number.
5. Follow your board’s exact submission instructions. Efficient Biometrics completes the card; we do not submit out-of-state cards electronically or receive your results.

Prefer not to visit the post office? We also offer document shipping — we pack, label, and send your FD-258 card by FedEx, UPS, or USPS with tracking.

After your card is done

Efficient Biometrics does not receive or store out-of-state background-check results. For status, contact your licensing board directly — the FBI returns results to the board or agency named on your submission, not to us.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an appointment for a fingerprint card?
Please call or text 847-436-5222 before you come in. Walk-ins are welcome, but because we also run mobile appointments, a quick call makes sure someone is at our Naperville location when you arrive.

What ID do I need to bring?
Your valid, unexpired Driver’s license. Also bring any blank card, coversheet, or agency information your board provided.

Can I get more than two FD-258 cards?
Yes. Let us know how many cards are needed and we can provide the same.

How do I submit the card once it’s done?
You take the finished FD-258 card with you and mail it to your licensing board (or the state bureau or channeler it designates) with your application. We complete the card on-site; we don’t submit out-of-state cards electronically.

What if the FBI rejects my prints for quality?
We roll carefully and check each impression to minimize that. If the FBI still rejects a card for print quality, come back and we’ll re-roll it. We can’t control a board’s own review of your application.

Do I need a physical card or Live Scan?
Illinois state licenses usually use electronic Live Scan; out-of-state boards usually need a physical FD-258 card mailed in. A few out-of-state boards require an approved channeler instead. Check with the out-of-state board for the requirements.

Applying for an out-of-state license in another profession? See all professions we roll FD-258 cards for. Need Illinois Live Scan instead? Browse Illinois fingerprinting by license type.

Serving Naperville and nearby — Aurora, Batavia, Bolingbrook, Carol Stream, Darien, Downers Grove, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lemont, Lisle, Montgomery.