Background Checks

To protect the campus community and its assets, the University needs to ensure that individuals assigned to certain campus positions have no history of criminal behavior relevant to their employment. Designated positions requiring a Background Check are positions where job responsibilities include, for example:

  • Working with minors
  • Handling or having access to cash or personally identifiable information
  • Having access to secured or restricted areas

These types of positions require finalists to be fingerprinted and are referred to as "designated" positions.

Other important details:

  • Before someone can be hired for a position deemed critical, Hiring Departments MUST, for each applicant, ensure that those applicable new hires have cleared their fingerprinting/background check requirements.
  • Effective 3/28/22, UC Berkeley is partnering with Biometrics4ALL, Inc. as the service provider to conduct fingerprinting services for both CA candidates and non-CA candidates. 
    • UCPD will no longer provide fingerprinting services for the UC Berkeley campus. Exception: UCPD will provide these services for Cal Alumni Association as they are a Non- Affiliate.
    • Generally, full details about how to schedule a fingerprinting appointment at a location convenient for the applicant will be included in the DocuSign packet of new employee paperwork as part of the Onboarding process.
  • LiveScan Fingerprinting is the method used to review a candidate’s criminal record, including state and nationwide checks, based on the candidate’s fingerprints. Candidates outside of CA will not use LiveScan but instead, follow a paper-based/hard card process.
  • If a new Berkeley employee receives a notice that their fingerprint/background check has been rejected for any reason, they must follow these steps ASAP to make another appointment to get their fingerprints "re-done".

Fee schedule:

The Background Check fees (IOF for a total of $155) is broken down into the following: 

  • $49 = Department of Justice (DOJ)/Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • $25 = Biometrics4All
  • $81 = UC Police Department Berkeley Adjudication Fee & Records Management

For applicants who must get their Background Check "re-done" and it is within 30 days from the original appointment date, there is no charge. If it is done after the 30 day period, the applicant will need to do a new transaction and incur an additional charge ($105) broken down into the following:

  • $49 = DOJ/FBI
  • $25 = Biometrics4All
  • $31 = UC Police Department Berkeley Adjudication Fee & Records Management

Additional Resources: