California Real Estate License Fingerprinting from Idaho

By Jim Allen, an Idaho Mobile Notary since 2018

You’ve got clients moving to California, or you’re moving there yourself, and you want your California license in hand before the first listing appointment. The Department of Real Estate won’t issue an original license until the DOJ and FBI reports are in and screened.

Fingerprints are the step that stalls most out-of-state applicants. I handle it here. I come to you, capture your prints on my own Live Scan system, and send them electronically to our California partner company, who processes and submits them to the California DOJ.

$349 for one applicant, government fees up to $75 included
$299 each for two or more at the same stop
Your home, office, or brokerage in Ada or Canyon County
Every print checked on screen before I leave

Call or text (208) 826-1210, or book online any time.

Your options as an out-of-state applicant

The DRE gives applicants outside California two choices. Go to a Live Scan provider in California. Or, rather than Live Scan, take the ink fingerprint cards the DRE provides to local law enforcement and send them back with your application.

I offer a third option. The capture happens here, and our California partner company submits in California. I’m not a California Live Scan site, and the DRE doesn’t list this route, so I won’t tell you it’s their recommendation.

How the whole thing works: California Live Scan from Idaho.

Where your prints are taken

I capture your fingerprints here in Idaho, and our partner company processes and submits your fingerprints to the California DOJ. The DOJ and FBI send the results to the DRE. I never see them.

So your prints are taken in Idaho, not in California. I don’t submit anything to the DOJ myself; our California partner company does that from California. But the capture still happens here. If the DRE tells you your prints have to be taken inside California, this isn’t the right option for you, and I’d rather you find that out before you pay me. Ask the DRE first.

Who I see for DRE prints

Idaho agents adding a California salesperson license
Brokers applying for a California broker license
Anyone relocating who wants the license lined up before the move

The DRE requires fingerprints for any real estate license applicant.

How it works

Book by call, text, or online.
I come to you, check your ID, and enter your details from your RE 237.
I capture your prints on Live Scan and check each one on screen.
Our California partner company processes and submits them to the California DOJ, and the reports go to the DRE.

What to bring

A valid, unexpired government photo ID
The DRE’s Live Scan Service Request, form RE 237. It’s on the DRE’s website, with the department’s details already on it.
Your Social Security number. The DRE uses it to match your fingerprint report to your application.

What it costs

$349 for one applicant. That covers travel to you, capture, data entry, submission handling, and government fees up to $75.

Two or more at the same stop, say two agents from the same brokerage, pay $299 each, and that’s everyone in the group. If your agency’s fees are over $75, you pay only the difference, and I confirm that with you before anything is submitted. DRE exam and license fees are separate.

What clients say

“Prompt, efficient, informed, diligent, and articulate. Perfect solution for any notary or signing needs. Notaries are a reflection of the organization that send them. As a realtor, I understand the value of the professionalism this company offers. They’re Great!”

— James Feehan, 5-star Google review

“Impressive!! Mr. James Allen actually answered his phone! He was Extremely prompt, professional, and friendly. Thank you Mr. Allen. 5 stars was not good enough!”

— Gina Cox, 5-star Google review

“Jim was prompt, professional and great to chat with. Highly recommend!”

— Adam S, 5-star Google review

Read all 250+ reviews on Google

Real estate license questions

Can I get fingerprinted for a California real estate license in Idaho?

Yes. I capture your prints here and our California partner company submits them electronically in California.

Does the DRE accept prints done this way?

The DRE decides that. Its site lists two routes for out-of-state applicants: a California Live Scan provider, or ink fingerprint cards, which are a different process. This is neither, so if you want certainty before you book, ask the DRE.

How long do results take?

Most results from the California DOJ arrive in under five business days, and a few can take up to 10. That clock starts when your prints are submitted. The DRE screens the report after that.

What if a print is rejected?

If I botched a roll or left a smudge, that’s on me, and I re-capture it free. I check every print on screen before I go. If your ridges are worn from age, medications, or dry skin, I’ll work the capture as hard as it can be worked, but I can’t guarantee the state accepts prints the fingers can’t give.

Where do the results go?

To the DRE. Not to you, and not to me.

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Service area: Boise and the rest of the Treasure Valley

Line up your California license

Tell me when you’re free and where you work. I’ll come to you, and your prints go to California the same day.