Background Check | Colorado Name Change

Most Colorado name changes will require a background check by the CBI and FBI. The applicant will need to be fingerprinted. Then their information will be checked against law enforcement databases. This process needs to be completed before a name change petition can be filed.

The only people that do not have to go through this check are:
Children under the age of 14
People who have recently divorced in the past 60 days
This step can be skipped if the applicant is in either of these groups.

Process

There are two ways you can complete the fingerprinting and background check process.

Order Online - $75

We recommend Colorado Fingerprinting if you want to order online. You will still need to make an appointment to go to their offices and have your fingerprints taken.

This option can be a little more expensive than doing it yourself. It is currently $75 total for both checks. It is much faster though. Your results will generally be ready in a few weeks.

We recommend this option if you can afford it. It is much easier as you are dealing with one processor. You also do not have to coordinate between several agencies. It is usually completed in half the time. This allows you to file your name change petition sooner.

Visit Colorado Fingerprinting

Do it Yourself - $40 to $55

Law enforcement agencies can take your fingerprints for you. You can find a local law enforcement agency here. We recommend contacting them to make sure they take fingerprints for name changes. You may also need to setup an appointment.

The cost of having a law enforcement agency take your fingerprints is usually between $5 and $20.

Submitting your fingerprint card to the FBI

The FBI has a web page here. This can help you start the process of submitting your fingerprints for a background check. This page lets you send your email address to the FBI. They will then send you information on how to proceed with them.

Once you submit the application forms you can find a post office that takes electronic fingerprint submissions for the FBI. There is also a mailing address to mail your fingerprint card in if there is not a participating post office near you.

This part of the process can take a few weeks or more. The cost of submitting and paying for a background check with the FBI is around $18.

Visit FBI Web Page

Submitting your fingerprint card to the CBI

The CBI has a web page here. This can help you start the process of submitting your fingerprints for a CBI background check.

They currently require you to use a company (either IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting) to submit your background check to them. Their page walks you through this process.

This part of the process can take a few weeks or more. The cost of submitting and paying for a background check with the CBI currently $16.50.

We recommend this option if you cannot afford to order online. This can be a little cheaper. But it requires you to visit multiple agencies.

This option takes more time. It will usually add several more weeks compared to ordering online.

Visit CBI Web Page

Next Steps

This is just the first step in the name change process. However, these background checks must be complete before you can file a name change petition.

Once the background checks are complete, you have 90 days to file a petition with the court. If you do not file a petition within 90 days, you will need to do the background checks again.

While background checks are in progress, we recommend continuing with the following:

Fill out the name change petition
Fill out other documents

Remember to:

File a petition within 90 days of completed background checks

They will then be completed, printed, and ready to sign when it is time to file.

Fingerprinting and Criminal Background Check

The only people that do not have to go through this check are:

This step can be skipped if the applicant is in either of these groups.