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Home > NJ Real Estate Commission > Licensing and Education > License Candidate Fingerprinting
Real Estate License Candidate Fingerprinting
New Fees Effective March 19, 2012

Effective September 5, 2006, ALL Candidates for New Jersey Real Estate Licenses will be required to complete the fingerprinting process as a condition of securing a real estate license.

This includes all new candidates for individual Real Estate Salesperson, Real Estate Broker-Salesperson, Real Estate Broker licenses as well as any individual who will serve as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license to conduct business as a Real Estate brokerage company.

 

Individual candidates have one year from the completion date of their pre-licensure education to take and pass the State examination administered by PSI Services LLC AND to file a fully completed application for licensure with the Licensing Services Bureau, Real Estate.  In order to avoid problems with the expiration of their one year of eligibility for licensure and to make a timely filing, candidates MUST complete the fingerprinting process as soon as possible after PASSING the State examination.

Applications for licensure WILL NOT be accepted without a fully completed application, the appropriate license fee and evidence of the completion of the fingerprinting process. 

Evidence of completion of the fingerprinting process MUST include:

(1) a copy of the applicant’s completed Universal Form (Version 4.0) (PDF); and

(2) a copy of the payment receipt issued by MorphoTrak, the fingerprint LiveScan vendor, at the time of completion of the LiveScan printing.

 
To Get Fingerprinted...   Please Note - Fingerprinting for Real Estate Instructors and Directors/Principals of Real Estate Schools...
 

Candidates for Real Estate Instructor licenses and for directors and principals of applicants for Real Estate School licenses will also be required to complete the fingerprinting process as a condition of securing the respective real estate licenses. 

 
Instructions for Live Scan: Electronic Fingerprinting Process
 
Criminal History Background Investigation

New Jersey law requires that every applicant and any officer, director, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license as a Real Estate Salesperson, Real Estate Broker/Salesperson, Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Instructor, or Real Estate School issued by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission must submit fingerprints and written consent for a criminal history record check. Previously, fingerprinting involved the manual ink and roll method; however new technology allows for electronic impressions.

To provide for a timely and efficient criminal history background review, the New Jersey Real Estate Commission/Department of Banking and Insurance will be utilizing the State Police coordinated non-criminal justice fingerprinting process known as Live Scan. The State of New Jersey has contracted with a vendor, MorphoTrak, to perform this service. The company has established permanent sites throughout the State as well as several mobile units available to meet their contractual agreement.

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How to Schedule an Appointment

Prior to contacting MorphoTrak, each candidate MUST complete the appropriate Universal Form (Version 4.0) (PDF) depending upon the license type they are seeking. The Real Estate Commission issues licenses to Real Estate Salespersons, Real Estate Broker/Salespersons, Real Estate Brokers, Real Estate Instructors and Real Estate Schools.

Appointment scheduling is available via the Internet 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The Department encourages everyone to schedule their appointment using the MorphoTrak web site to avoid telephone holding times.

For applicants who do not have internet access, appointments are available through the toll-free call center at 1-877-503-5981 on a first call, first served basis Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Hearing impaired scheduling is available at 1-800-673-0353. English and Spanish operators are available through the Call Center.


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Please Note...
  • Make sure that you are completing the correct Universal Form (Version 4.0) (PDF) by identifying the license type in section #4 on the form.
  • Once the proper form is completed you may schedule an appointment. Do NOT discard the Universal form as it will need to be presented at your scheduled appointment.
  • Information concerning the fingerprinting process for Real Estate Instructors and Real Estate Schools must be obtained by contacting the Education Bureau at (609) 292-7272.
Processing Fee

All applicants must pay the criminal history record check fee directly to MorphoTrak. The total cost for this process is $67.50. Payment will be required at the time of scheduling. Checks are not accepted by MorphoTrak. MorphoTrak will accept Money Orders and Credit Cards. Payment instructions are relayed during the scheduling process but have the credit card or money order ready prior to contacting MorphoTrak.

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Cancellation Fee

A fee of $11 is charged to cover the cost of a scheduled appointment for applicants who do not cancel by noon on the business day prior to your scheduled appointment (Saturday noon for Monday appointments). The $11 fee also applies to applicants who are turned away from the printing sites due to their inability to present proper ID or who fail to present the proper and current version of the Universal Fingerprint form. All refunds are issued by MorphoTrak.

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Selecting the Proper Universal Form

The Real Estate Commission issues several different license types that require fingerprinting. The proper Universal Form must be completed for scheduling and presented at the appointment or you will be turned away from the scanning center and charged a $11 fee, as described above. The license type is identified in field #4 of the Universal Form. In addition, please be sure to use the most current version of the form.

Real Estate Salespersons, Broker/Salespersons and Brokers will all use the same
Universal Form (Version 4.0) (PDF)

Real Estate Instructors will have their own Universal Form.  Real Estate Schools will have a third version of the Universal Form.  As noted above, the Real Estate Instructor and Real Estate School information must be obtained by contacting the Education Bureau at (609) 292-7272. Real Estate Instructor and School forms will NOT be available on the web site.  

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Proper Identification

ACCEPTABLE ID REQUIREMENTS - ID MUST include Photo, Name, Address (Home/Employer) and Date of Birth. Acceptable ID MUST be issued by a Federal, State, County, or Municipal entity for Identification purposes. Examples of acceptable ID are 1) Valid Photo Driver's License or Valid Photo ID issued by any State DMV or NJ MVC, 2) Passport. Acceptable ID MUST meet all of the underlined requirements above and MUST be present on one (1) ID. Combinations of documents are NOT acceptable. If acceptable ID is not presented you will not be fingerprinted.

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PLEASE NOTE...

If you live, work or go to school in New Jersey you MUST be fingerprinted in person at one of the MorphoTrak facilities. 

If you do NOT live, work or go to school in New Jersey and if you are NOT located within ten miles of one of New Jersey’s borders, you must contact the Licensing Services Bureau, Real Estate in writing for instructions as to the procedure you need to follow to comply with the fingerprinting requirement.

  For more information, write to...


Licensing Services Bureau
Real Estate, NJDOBI
PO Box 474
Trenton, NJ 08625-0474
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Frequently Asked Questions


Who needs to schedule a fingerprint scan for criminal history purposes as a condition of receiving a real estate license?

If an individual has been fingerprinted in the State of New Jersey for another purpose, is the individual required to go through the process again?

How do I begin the process?

What do I bring to the scanning center?

When should I schedule the fingerprint scan?


 
Who needs to schedule a fingerprint scan for criminal history purposes as a condition of receiving a real estate license?
  • All new applicants for New Jersey Real Estate Salesperson, Real Estate Broker/Salesperson, or Real Estate Broker licenses
  • Any individual who will serve as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license to conduct business as a Real Estate broker company
  • Any new individuals becoming affiliated with an existing licensed Real Estate broker company as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest
  • All new applicants for Real Estate Instructor licenses
  • Any individual who will serve as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest of a corporation, limited liability company or partnership applying for a license as a Real Estate School
  • Any new individuals becoming affiliated with an existing licensed Real Estate School as an officer, director, member, partner or owner of a controlling interest

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If an individual has been fingerprinted in the State of New Jersey for another purpose, is the individual required to go through the process again?
Yes.  Regulations concerning dissemination of criminal history information prohibit its use outside the intended purpose. Federal and State security and privacy regulations dictate that dissemination of this information may only be for the purpose expressed in the form field identified as "Reason Fingerprinted." Sharing of criminal history information is therefore prohibited.

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How do I begin the process?
The first step is to download the current version of the Universal Form (Version 4.0) (PDF). Following completion of the proper universal form, contact MorphoTrak to schedule an appointment. We strongly suggest that you use the MorphoTrak web site at www.bioapplicant.com/nj. Don't forget to have your credit card or money order ready when scheduling the appointment.

faqs

What do I bring to the scanning center?
Scanning centers are located throughout the State. You may identify the most convenient location by accessing MorphoTrak's web site.

  1. You must bring to the scanning center photo identification. ID MUST include Photo, Name, Address (Home/Employer) and Date of Birth. Acceptable ID MUST be issued by a Federal, State, County, or Municipal entity for Identification purposes. Examples of acceptable ID are 1) Valid Photo Driver's License or Valid Photo ID issued by any State DMV or NJ MVC, 2) Passport. Acceptable ID MUST meet all of the underlined requirements above and MUST be present on one (1) ID. Combinations of documents are NOT acceptable. If acceptable ID is not presented you will not be fingerprinted.
  2. A properly completed Universal Form (Version 4.0) (PDF).
  3. The money order identified during the scheduling process, if you did not opt to pay by credit card.

faqs

When should I schedule the fingerprint scan?
The Department suggests that you schedule the fingerprint scan immediately after you pass the real estate licensing exam. The scheduled appointment will be within 7 to 10 days of completing the scheduling process. Remember that we suggest you take advantage of MorphoTrak's online registration process. Real Estate salesperson, broker-salesperson and broker candidates MUST complete the fingerprinting process in sufficient time to file a license application prior to the eligibility expiration date as it appears on their passing score report issued by PSI Services LLC.  This date is one year from the date of pre-licensure education course completion.

NOTE: The eligibility expiration date is NOT one year from the date of passing the State examination.

faqs

 
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