Fingerprints – Applicants

Applicants Currently Living in Texas

All applicants are required to submit fingerprints. A license will not be issued until the fingerprints are submitted. A criminal history check will then be conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Fingerprints may be submitted by making an appointment with IdentoGO, a company approved by the state to take fingerprints at a location near you.

INSTRUCTIONS: (provided by the Department of Public Safety):

Important Notice  — when registering, you will be asked to enter your case number. Enter your social security number, but in this format (with no spaces): OB-XXXXXXXXX. For example, if your social security number is 123-45-6789, type exactly: OB-123456789

1.Schedule an appointment to be electronically fingerprinted by MorphoTrust USA at one of their IdentoGo enrollment centers. Internet based scheduling is the quickest and most convenient way to obtain a fingerprint appointment.

To Schedule Online: Once we have accepted your application, contact the Board office for our Service Code and then visit IdentoGo’s website. Provide all required pre-enrollment data and select a convenient date and time for your appointment

If you prefer to schedule over the telephone, you must contact the Board office to make sure your application has been accepted so that we may provide you with our Service Code, then call 888.467.2080. MorphoTrust will prompt you for the Service Code. Provide all required pre-enrollment data and select a convenient date and time for your appointment

2. Arrive at your scheduled appointment with your photo identification and fee. If you plan on bringing a form of identification other than a valid (unexpired) Texas Driver’s License, please refer to the Department of Public Safety’s acceptable document types. MorphoTrust accepts Visa/MasterCard/Discover/American Express, business checks, and money orders at the time of service. Please note that personal checks and cash are not accepted.

3. Your fingerprints will be submitted electronically to DPS and the FBI. You will not receive a printed fingerprint card.

4. At the conclusion of your appointment, the MorphoTrust enrollment agent will provide you with an IdentoGo receipt stating that you were fingerprinted. Do not throw away the receipt.  You may check status on your submission on the IdentoGO website.

Fingerprints provided for this application shall be used to check criminal history records of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in accordance with applicable statutes. Criminal History information is transferred to the Texas Optometry Board soon after fingerprints are submitted.

Chapters 411 and 560 of the Government Code make criminal history information confidential and exempt from disclosure as a public record.

Applicants Currently Outside Texas

All applicants are required to submit fingerprints. If you will not be able to have your fingerprints taken at a location in Texas, please follow these instructions. A license will not be issued until the fingerprints are submitted. Fingerprints, taken by your local law enforcement, are submitted by the applicant to IdentoGO, a company approved by the state to receive fingerprints. A criminal history check will then be conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI.

INSTRUCTIONS: (provided by the Department of Public Safety):

1. Submit your application to the Board and then send an e-mail to the Board asking if it has been accepted. If our staff confirms acceptance, request that a fingerprint card be mailed to you.
2. You will need to register on-line. Important Notice from the Optometry Board before you register — when registering, you will be asked to enter your case number. Enter your social security number, but in this format (with no spaces): OB-XXXXXXXXX. For example, if your social security number is 123-45-6789, type exactly: OB-123456789
3. Register on-line at: https://uenroll.identogo.com/  Use the Service Code given to you by our staff in the email confirming acceptance of your application.
4. Once you receive the fingerprint card in the mail, fill out the card in black ink. Print or type the information. Do not complete: “Your No.,” “FBI No,” “Armed Forces No,” “Miscellaneous No,” or “Reason Fingerprinted.”
5. Take the fingerprint card to a local law enforcement agency (police department, sheriff, state police) and have your fingerprints taken. That agency may charge for this service. Please make sure the person taking the fingerprints signs the card.
6. The registration website provides information on mailing the fingerprint card. Do not send the fingerprint card to the Board.
7. You must be able to prove that you submitted the fingerprint card to IdentoGO before you can be licensed. Normally this will not be an issue as the criminal history information is transferred to the Optometry Board soon after fingerprints are submitted. However, if the applicant delays getting fingerprinted until the last minute, the applicant must be able to prove that the fingerprints have been submitted.

Please note: If you have an IdentoGo location in your area and you decide to make an appointment to visit their office, you do NOT need the fingerprint card. They will fingerprint you digitally after you give them our service code and our office will receive your results electronically.

Chapters 411 and 560 of the Government Code make this information confidential and exempt from disclosure as a public record.