Starting A Fingerprinting Business In Ohio?
Starting a fingerprinting business in Ohio requires a few things to get started. The most important being the following.
- Fingerprinting Skills
- State Regulation Knowledge
- Marketing Strategy
- Connection To Ohio Attorney General (Only for electronic)
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you learn how to start a fingerprinting business in Ohio:
- State Regulation Knowledge:
The fingerprinting regulations in Ohio are as follows.
- Open State
- Accepts Fingerprint Cards
- Electronic fingerprinting can be done commercially and statewide (AKA, Live Scan)
Now if those bullet points do not make complete sense that's fine. See the explanations below.
An "open state" means that a state will allow a private person or business to process fingerprint cards for state reason, as well as for electronic reasons. Open also means that the state has electronic or "live scan" connections that can be made directly to the state.
The live scan connection process typically includes the need for fingerprinting scanning hardware, software, and a company to assist in facilitating the connection.
"Accepting fingerprint cards" means that if the state is requiring a fingerprint card to be done, then that card can be done by you without any licenses or other requirements. These cards for Ohio are typically called "Ohio BCI fingerprint cards.
Fingerprint cards can also be for federal reasons or "commercial" reasons which anyone can do regardless of what state you are in.
A license is not required to conduct ink fingerprinting services and live scan in the state of Ohio. If electronic fingerprinting is going to be the business model for someone in the state of Ohio, you will need to complete a course for the state Attorney General and obtain Ohio "webcheck" materials and software.
Commercial electronic fingerprinting or "live scan" can be done along with a direct connection to the Ohio Attorney General using webcheck technology if it's for state specific purposes.
NOTE: Connecting to Ohio AG for liv scan purposes is a process that requires hardware, software, a test completed for the state and a company to assist in facilitating the connection.
2. Fingerprinting Skills
We always suggest to seek professional training to be confident in rolling fingerprints for the state of Ohio. You can inquire about training by booking a call with a fingerprinting.org team member. Click here to book a call
3. Marketing Strategy
For marketing we suggest creating the following to get started.
- Google Business Profile
- Website
- Listing on a referral site
For more information on marketing and assistance with marketing you can inquire about our live bootcamp training below!
Summary:
Ohio is a great state to do fingerprinting in. As long as you have a solid plan, the right materials, and take action!
Business Setup And Legal Information
Although fingerprinting.org is not licensed to provide legal or tax information in regards to your state, we always suggest the following as a starting point.
- Ensure you have a legal business entity setup
- LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or other
- Ensure you keep good financial records
- Consult an attorney or tax professional for further advice regarding operating a business in your state.