Certifix Live Scan

What Certifix Live Scan does

Certifix, Inc. (operating as Certifix Live Scan) is a privately held, founder-owned fingerprinting and background check services company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Anaheim, California. The company operates a nationwide network of more than 1,200 certified fingerprinting locations across all 50 US states, supplemented by international sites in Canada, Mexico, and Spain, and reports processing over 6 million fingerprints cumulatively. Its core technology is the proprietary Fingerprint Rail backend, which captures, validates, formats, and transmits fingerprints through FBI Appendix F-certified Live Scan hardware and software approved by the California DOJ, Florida FDLE/AHCA, and the FBI.

Certifix generates revenue primarily through per-transaction service fees for electronic Live Scan submissions to California DOJ, Florida FDLE/AHCA, and the FBI, plus mail-in FD-258 fingerprint card services. Secondary streams include mobile on-site fingerprinting for groups, sale of certified Live Scan equipment systems to in-house operators, an FBI background check apostille authentication service for international use, and an e-commerce store for fingerprinting supplies. The go-to-market model blends direct-to-consumer self-serve online enrollment with a QR-code check-in flow, field sales for mobile and enterprise equipment accounts, and SEO-driven acquisition through state- and service-specific web portals.

The customer base is fragmented across individual job applicants, licensed professionals (healthcare, education, real estate, financial services), immigration and visa applicants, and a smaller cohort of enterprise accounts that either purchase equipment or book mobile fingerprinting events. Operator/rolling fees are set at the location level with government fees ($32 California DOJ, $17 FBI, and other agency fees) passed through separately.

Name

Certifix Live Scan

Legal name

Certifix, Inc.

Website

https://certifixlivescan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Certifix Live Scan is a US fingerprinting and background check services company operating 1,200+ certified locations across all 50 states, providing electronic Live Scan submissions to California DOJ, Florida FDLE/AHCA, and the FBI, mail-in FD-258 cards, mobile fingerprinting, and apostille authentication.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fingerprinting & Background Check Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)

akta.pro primary industry

Fingerprinting & Biometric-Based Checks (BPACALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Identity Verification (ID, SSN Trace, KYC-lite) (BPACALAD)

Keywords

• Live Scan fingerprinting
• FBI background checks
• Fingerprint card services
• Mobile fingerprinting
• Biometric identity verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Anaheim

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Scan Fingerprinting Services: Electronic fingerprint submission services for state and federal background checks including California DOJ, Florida FDLE/AHCA, and FBI. Revenue is generated per transaction through operator/rolling fees plus applicable government fees. Customers pay during online enrollment or at the location.
2. FD-258 Fingerprint Card Services: Electronic fingerprint capture printed onto official FD-258 fingerprint cards for mail-in submission. The completed card is mailed to the customer or directly to the requesting organization. Additional card copies available upon request for a small fee.
3. Live Scan Equipment Sales: Sale of certified Live Scan systems to businesses, applicant agencies, and organizations that need to process fingerprints in-house. Includes hardware (business-class laptop, FBI-certified fingerprint scanner, optional card printer), installation, training, warranty, and ongoing technical support.
4. FBI Apostille Authentication Service: End-to-end service handling FBI background check submission plus apostille authentication through the U.S. Department of State for international use. Certifix manages the entire process including fingerprinting, FBI submission, authentication, and delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Certifix Live Scan provides electronic Live Scan fingerprinting and mail-in FD-258 fingerprint card services that capture applicant fingerprints and submit them to the California DOJ, Florida FDLE/AHCA, and the FBI for state and federal background checks required for employment, licensing, immigration, and certification. Services are delivered through 1,200+ certified walk-in locations nationwide, on-site mobile fingerprinting teams, and sales of FBI-certified Live Scan equipment to organizations processing applicants in-house.

Product overview

Certifix Live Scan offers a unified platform of fingerprinting services with multiple delivery mechanisms. The core offering consists of Live Scan electronic submissions to government agencies (California DOJ, Florida FDLE/AHCA, FBI) and mail-in FD-258 fingerprint card services. These are delivered through a nationwide network of over 1,200 physical locations, a mobile fingerprinting service for on-site appointments, and an enterprise Live Scan system for organizations processing fingerprints in-house. Additional services include apostille authentication for international document use and an online store for fingerprinting supplies. The company operates primarily as a services platform rather than a software product, connecting applicants with certified fingerprinting locations and managing the submission process to government agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Live Scan Submission Electronic Live Scan fingerprinting service that captures fingerprints digitally and submits them to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI for background checks required for employment, licensing, and certification in California. Available to individual consumers through 1,200+ certified nationwide locations with online enrollment and QR-code check-in.
• Florida Level 2 Live Scan Submission (FDLE/AHCA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Electronic submissions processed within 1-3 business days for FBI background checks
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IdentoGO (IDEMIA): IdentoGO is the largest direct competitor in U.S. Livescan fingerprinting services, operated by IDEMIA (the global identity/biometrics leader). It runs the most extensive nationwide network of fingerprinting locations and serves the same California DOJ, state, and FBI channels as Certifix.
• Fieldprint: Fieldprint operates a national Live Scan fingerprinting and background screening network with scheduled appointment locations. It directly competes with Certifix in electronic fingerprint capture, applicant scheduling, and state/federal agency submissions.
• Accurate Biometrics: Accurate Biometrics provides Live Scan and mobile fingerprinting services across multiple U.S. states, with a similar model to Certifix covering electronic submissions to state agencies and the FBI as well as on-site services for organizations.
• Livescan.com: Livescan.com offers California Live Scan and nationwide fingerprinting services with online enrollment, directly overlapping with Certifix's core California DOJ submission product and consumer walk-in model.
• National Background Investigations (NBI): NBI provides fingerprint-based background check services and Live Scan electronic submissions across multiple states, serving licensed professionals and employer screening needs — directly comparable to Certifix's regulated-professional customer base.
• Thumbscan: Thumbscan operates Live Scan fingerprinting locations and mobile fingerprinting services primarily in the Western U.S., offering FBI-channel electronic submissions and competing for the same applicant agency and licensed professional customers.
• Biometric Information Management (BIM): BIM operates a network of Live Scan fingerprinting locations and offers electronic submissions to multiple state agencies and the FBI. Its multi-state live scan service model and regulated-customer focus make it a direct comparable to Certifix.

Broad incumbents

• Sterling: Sterling is a large background check provider offering fingerprint and identity services as part of a broader employment screening platform. It overlaps with Certifix on regulated-industry background checks but serves enterprise HR with a much wider product portfolio.
• HireRight: HireRight is a global background screening incumbent that includes fingerprint-based checks within its enterprise HR screening suite. While its fingerprinting footprint is narrower, it competes for the same employer and applicant agency relationships.

Emerging players

• Checkr: Checkr is a technology-led background screening platform focused on digital-first and API-driven checks. It increasingly supports remote identity verification workflows that could substitute for physical Live Scan in some use cases Certifix serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/certifix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Certifix Live Scan