All students must have a satisfactory background check prior to any clinical experience placements.  This background check is a "name search"  through the Missouri State Highway Patrol.  There is a $9.00 fee for this background check.  In order to request a Background Check, please contact Sharon Terry in the Student Services Office via email at:  SharonTerry@missouristate.edu  Sharon will then mail you a background check packet for you to complete and return to the Student Services Office for processing.  You will need to include a money order for $9.00 made payable to "Treasurer, State of Missouri."  Cash or personal checks will not be accepted.   The information that must be completed begins with the "applicant's name" and continues to include the "signature of applicant" and "date."  

If you have been hired to teach on a Provisional or Temporary Teaching Certificate, you will have already  completed an FBI background check which will be on file with DESE.  If you have been hired to teach, please notify Sharon Terry of your status and we will use your FBI background check in place of your Highway Patrol Background check.  If you have had a substitute certificate issued within this academic year, we will accept a copy of the certificate in place of the Highway Patrol Background Check..

All certification applicants in the state of Missouri must submit their fingerprints to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) before they will be certified.  This is true for those requesting a substitute certificate, a Provisional or Temporary Authorization Certificate, or an Initial Professional Certificate (IPC).

Beginning November 1st, 2009 all FBI background checks will be valid for one year from the date they were done.  Therefore, fingerprints should be sent to DESE no more than 9 months before your application for certification is completed and sent to DESE.  For students completing an Initial certification program at a recommending institution, the certification application packet will be completed and sent by the Certification Officer at that institution upon the completion of all certification requirements.  If the applicant previously completed a background check in which fingerprints were taken, these fingerprints will only suffice if they are less than one year old.    

Missouri now requires all applicants for certification to have their fingerprints electronically scanned through Integrated Biometric Technology (formerly Identix).  Appointments are required for the scan and can be made by contacting Integrated Biometric Technology by phone at 1-866-522-7067 or online at http://www.l1id.com/ .  Integrated Biometric Technology is currently located at the following address:

                                    Housing Authority of Springfield
                                    515 W. Mount Vernon
                                    Springfield, MO 65806

Click here for a map to this location.

The following fees apply to the FBI Background check:                           $52.20

This fee can be paid by credit card, check, or money order payable to Identix.  Each applicant will need the county/district code of their hiring school district (a six digit code).  If the applicant is not employed, then use code 999999 and the results will be sent directly to the applicant. 

Each applicant will also need an ORI number for the fingerprinting form.  To identify your application source as education you will enter M0920320Z.  Each applicant should circle Educator under Employee Status on the form.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please call the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at 1-573-522-8315 or1-573-751-0051 or you can visit the DESE Website and click on the Background/Fingerprint check link.