Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card Arizona: IVP vs Non-IVP for Foster Care

More Arizona foster care applications stall at the fingerprint clearance card than at any other step. The card itself is straightforward — a state-issued background check run through the Arizona Department of Public Safety. But the process has enough moving parts that families routinely add 60 to 90 days to their licensing timeline by submitting the wrong card type, missing the identity verification step, or not understanding what happens when a name match triggers a manual review.

Every adult in your household aged 18 or older needs a valid Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card before DCS will issue your foster home license. If your spouse, adult child, or roommate is missing theirs, the entire household is blocked. This is the one step where starting early pays off the most.

What the Level 1 Card Actually Is

The Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card is issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). It runs your prints against both Arizona state criminal records and the FBI federal criminal database. It is more comprehensive than a standard employment background check, and it is the primary mechanism that screens for disqualifying offenses under ARS 8-804 — convictions involving crimes against children, sexual offenses, and domestic violence.

The fingerprint card is separate from the DCS Central Registry check. DCS also searches the Vulnerable Adult and Child Abuse Registry for substantiated findings of child abuse or neglect. If you have lived in another state within the last five years, DCS must check those states' registries as well. Clearing one check does not clear the other. They are two parallel processes.

The card is valid for six years. If it expires during your licensing period, you must renew before expiration — an expired card during an active placement creates an immediate compliance issue.

IVP vs Non-IVP: The Distinction That Causes Most Delays

Arizona offers two types of fingerprint clearance cards: IVP (Identity Verified Prints) and Non-IVP. Foster care licensing requires the IVP card. This is the single most common source of confusion.

IVP (Identity Verified Prints) includes an in-person identity verification step. You present government-issued ID at the fingerprint appointment, and the operator verifies your identity before submitting prints. The prints are then linked to your verified identity in the DPS system.

Non-IVP skips the in-person verification. Prints are submitted through a standard livescan location without the identity confirmation protocol. This is cheaper and faster, but it does not satisfy DCS foster care licensing requirements.

The problem: applicants who select Non-IVP and submit prints through a Fieldprint or livescan location will receive a valid clearance card — but it is not the IVP card DCS needs. Discovering this mistake after the fact means starting the entire process over. The fee is non-refundable. This is where the 90-day delay comes from.

The IVP designation must be selected at the start of the application, inside the DPS Public Service Portal, before you book your fingerprint appointment.

How to Apply: DPS Portal Walkthrough

Step 1: Create a DPS Public Service Portal Account

Go to the Arizona DPS website (azdps.gov) and navigate to the Fingerprint Clearance Card section. Create an account using an email address you check regularly — all status updates come here.

Step 2: Select IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

When the portal asks you to choose a card type, select IVP. Do not select Non-IVP even if it looks simpler or less expensive. The portal interface does not make the consequences of this choice obvious.

Step 3: Complete the Application and Pay

Fill out the application with your personal information, employment or purpose (foster care licensing), and address history. Pay the application fee:

Foster care applicants pay the IVP fee. Both the primary applicant and every other adult in the household pay separately. A two-adult household should budget approximately $134 in fingerprint fees alone.

After payment, the portal generates your A-prefixed reference number. This number is critical — you cannot book a fingerprint appointment without it.

Step 4: Book Your Fingerprint Appointment

Use your A-prefixed reference number to book at an approved Fieldprint livescan location. Arizona has appointments available at DPS service centers, Fieldprint sites, and some private fingerprinting providers. Because IVP requires in-person identity verification, mail-in submissions are not accepted.

Bring your A-prefixed reference number and a valid government-issued photo ID to the appointment. The operator will verify your identity, capture your prints, and submit them electronically to DPS.

This is where many applicants hit a wall — they try to schedule a livescan appointment directly through a third-party provider before generating the reference number in the DPS portal. The provider will take their prints, but the submission cannot be linked to their application. The result is a paid appointment that produces nothing usable.

Step 5: Wait for Processing

Processing times vary based on your record:

• Clean record, no name matches: Typically clears within 2 to 4 weeks.
• Common name triggering a match: Manual review adds weeks or months. If your name matches someone with a criminal record — even if the match is clearly not you — a DPS analyst must manually resolve the hit. There is no way to expedite this.
• Actual criminal history: Processing time depends on the nature and number of offenses. Offenses that are not absolute bars under ARS 8-804 may still require additional documentation before a card is issued.

Step 6: Deliver the Card to Your Licensing Agency

When the physical card arrives, your licensing agency needs a copy for your file. Your DCS licensing specialist will also verify your card directly in the Quick Connect system. Do not wait for the physical card to arrive before notifying your agency — let them know once the portal shows "approved" so they can begin verification on their end.

When a Card Is Denied

A denial does not necessarily end your foster care application. ARS 8-804 specifies absolute bars — certain serious felonies related to children, sexual offenses, and domestic violence that cannot be waived under any circumstances. But many other offenses are reviewable.

If your denial is based on an offense that is not an absolute bar, the next step is the Good Cause Exception through the Arizona Board of Fingerprinting. This is a formal petition process where you demonstrate rehabilitation through documentation: completed treatment programs, letters of support, stable employment history, and a personal statement. The Board reviews each case individually and can grant clearance even after an automatic denial.

The most common reason families give up at this stage is not the offense itself — it is not knowing the appeal exists. If your card is denied, read the denial letter carefully. It will specify the basis for the denial and whether the offense falls under the absolute bar category. If it does not, the Good Cause Exception is the correct next step.

Disclosure Matters More Than the Offense

DPS and DCS conduct thorough background checks that surface arrests without convictions, dismissed charges, and in some cases juvenile records. Failing to disclose a known history — even something you believe is minor or was resolved years ago — can result in a denial based on a lack of "reputable and honest character" under AAC R21-6-301. The non-disclosure itself becomes the problem, independent of whether the underlying offense would have been disqualifying.

If you have any history, disclose it early and directly to your licensing specialist. Licensing agencies deal with imperfect histories regularly. What they cannot work with is concealment discovered during a background check.

Common Timing Mistakes

Starting too late. The fingerprint card should be the first thing you do — even before your orientation session if possible. Processing delays are the most unpredictable variable in the licensing timeline, and you cannot begin a home study without a valid card on file.

Forgetting household members. Every adult aged 18 or older in the home needs their own card. If your 19-year-old comes home from college for the summer, or an elderly parent moves in, they need a card too. Families sometimes complete the entire licensing process only to be held up by a household member who was not accounted for.

Letting a card expire. The six-year validity period means most families will need to renew at least once during their foster care career. Set a calendar reminder for six months before expiration.

The Arizona Foster Care Licensing Guide walks through the full DPS portal workflow with the exact reference number sequence, the IVP selection screen, and a Good Cause Exception documentation checklist for families working through a denial.

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