New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 45:1-30 et seq.) requires that every person who possesses a license or certificate as a health care professional MUST undergo a Criminal History Record Background Check. The Division of Consumer Affairs has created a list of the most frequently asked questions about the Criminal History Record Background Check process. For more information about the Fingerprint Scheduling Process, click here.

1. How long will it take to the Division of Consumer Affairs to complete all criminal history background checks required by the Health Care Professional Responsibility and Reporting Enhancement Act?
2. How do I get fingerprinted?
3. Where should I go to get fingerprinted if I do not live in New Jersey?
4. Why can’t I go to Sagem Morpho Inc. if they have a location in my home state?
5. I recently had a background check done for another agency (e.g. the Department of Education), do I have to undergo the process again?
6. Can I have a copy of my criminal history background check after the process has been completed?
7. Can I have the contact information for Sagem Morpho Inc.?
8. What are the required documents that must be presented at my scheduled appointment with Sagem Morpho?
9. How is my professional board notified regarding my criminal history record?
10. What if I previously completed the Certification and Authorization Form and gone through the Criminal History Record Background Check process for the Division of Consumer Affairs?
11. Why haven't I received my Certification and Authorization Form?
12. To what address do I mail the Certification and Authorization Form?

1. How long will it take to the Division of Consumer Affairs to complete all criminal history background checks required by the Health Care Professional Responsibility and Reporting Enhancement Act?
   N.J.S.A. 45:1-30 et seq. directs the Division of Consumer Affairs to take no more than four years, beginning in November 2005, to complete criminal history record background checks on all New Jersey licensed health care professionals.

   We are in the process of sending out letters to all licensees along with the Certification and Authorization Form. This is just the first step of the process. It may be up to four years before you will receive any further notification concerning the next step of your criminal history record background check. The next step is the actual fingerprinting process. Whether a licensee lives in, near or outside New Jersey will determine how long the entire process will take.
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2. How do I get fingerprinted?
   If a licensee resides, works or attends school in the state of New Jersey, or within ten (10) miles of the State’s borders he or she is required to schedule a fingerprinting session directly with Sagem Morpho, a private company under contract with the State (list of out of State zip codes).

   If you live 10 miles or more beyond New Jersey’s borders, you may choose whether you would like to visit a Sagem Morpho location or use the manual fingerprinting cards. (Sagem Morpho Inc. locations in New Jersey). The live-scan fingerprinting done by Sagem Morpho will significantly expedite the criminal history background process. If it is necessary to use the manual fingerprint cards, there may be a significant delay in the processing of the criminal history record background check.
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3. Where should I go to get fingerprinted if I do not live in New Jersey?
   If you choose not to visit a Sagem Morpho location, the manual fingerprint cards can be recorded by the local police department, another local law enforcement agency, a state police department or by your own state’s electronic fingerprinting company.
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4. Why can’t I go to Sagem Morpho Inc. if they have a location in my home state?
   Sagem Morpho locations within New Jersey comply with New Jersey State Police regulations for fingerprinting. Locations in other states may have adopted different regulations. However, you may still go to a Sagem Morpho location in another state and have your fingerprints recorded onto the manual fingerprint cards.
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5. I recently had a background check done for another agency (e.g. the Department of Education), do I have to undergo the process again?
   Yes, since the regulation concerning the dissemination of criminal history record information prohibits the sharing of the material for any reason other than the authorized and intended purpose for which it was gathered.
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6. Can I have a copy of my criminal history background check after the process has been completed?
   No. Federal and State regulations govern the dissemination of criminal history record information and prohibit secondary dissemination.
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7. Can I have the contact information for Sagem Morpho Inc.?
   The Division asks that you do not contact Sagem Morpho for an appointment until you are instructed to do so. Due to the large number of health care professionals who need to be fingerprinted, we ask that you adhere to a specific schedule, organized by profession.
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8. What are the required documents that must be presented at my scheduled appointment with Sagem Morpho?
   All licensees must provide the Sagem Morpho Form which will be provided at a later date, and VALID (not expired) photo identification. Acceptable ID must be issued by a federal, State, county or municipal entity for identification purposes, and must include: PHOTOGRAPH, NAME, ADDRESS (Home/Employer) and DATE OF BIRTH. Identification must meet all of the requirements and be presented on one ID. A combination of documents is not acceptable.

   Examples of acceptable ID (must include PHOTOGRAPH, NAME, ADDRESS (Home/Employer) and DATE OF BIRTH) include:
   

   • Photo Driver’s License or Photo ID issued by a state Department of Motor Vehicles or the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
   • Passport or Immigration Identification
   • Federal, state, county, municipal employment ID
     

   
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9. How is my professional board notified regarding my criminal history record?
   The submission of a licensee’s fingerprint images to the New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is compared with the fingerprint images in the respective criminal fingerprint database. If a criminal identification is made, then the criminal record is disseminated to the professional board. If no criminal identification is made, then a negative reply will be forwarded to the professional board.
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10. What if I previously completed the Certification and Authorization Form and gone through the Criminal History Record Background Check process for the Division of Consumer Affairs?
    If you have already undergone the Criminal History Record Background Check process for the Division of Consumer Affairs, you will not be required to be fingerprinted a second time. You must complete the Certification and Authorization form and include the date you were fingerprinted along with the Board or Committee that required the Criminal History Background Check.
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11. Why haven't I received my Certification and Authorization Form?
    If you were fingerprinted after November 2003 as part of a criminal history background process for licensure or certification for any Board or Committee of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, you will not be required to go for fingerprinting again. You must complete the Certification and Authorization Form and include the date you were fingerprinted along with the Board or committee that required the criminal history record background check.
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12. To what address do I mail the Certification and Authorization Form?
    Division of Consumer Affairs
    Health Care Reporting Unit
    P.O. Box 46019
    Newark, New Jersey 07101
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