Division Updates

“The Rap Back service allows authorized agencies to receive notification of activity on individuals who hold positions of trust (e.g. school teachers, daycare workers [and now real estate and appraisal licensees]), thus eliminating the need for recurring background checks on a person from the same applicant agency…” (https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics/ngi)

S.B. 140 from the 2019 Utah Legislative Session requires all active and inactive real estate agents, brokers, and all appraisers to be fingerprinted and enrolled in RAP Back.

The Bureau of Criminal Identification (“BCI”) charges $40 for processing fingerprints and $5 to enroll a licensee in RAP Back. Third Party fees: Depending on where you get fingerprinted, there may be additional fees.

Licensees should be fingerprinted in their renewal window*. Appraisers have a renewal window of three months before expiration and real estate licensees have a renewal window of 45 days prior to expiration.

*Because of the complexity of RAP Back, July renewals had a shorter renewal window.

As mentioned above, the fee for fingerprint processing and RAP Back enrollment is $45. When a licensee’s fingerprints are submitted to BCI, BCI bills the Division the $45. A licensee will not pay the $45 until they renew their license. The Division needs to collect the funds from licensees to pay BCI for the processing of fingerprints and enrollment in RAP Back.

The Division of Real Estate has tried to make it as convenient as possible for licensees to be fingerprinted. During the process detailed in number 7 below, licensees will be given a list of fingerprinting locations. Please select one of the locations to have your fingerprints taken. If you select the Division, please keep in mind that while the Division does offer fingerprinting services, we do so by appointment only and require licensees to wear a mask. Please schedule your appointment on the Division’s website before arriving at the Division. Remember that there are numerous other locations that offer fingerprinting services including most police stations.

1. To renew their license, each Real Estate and Appraisal licensee must visit the Division’s website: realestate.utah.gov and click on the RAP Back Service icon to review and sign a Consent to Background Check Form. This will all be done electronically and licensees will have the ability to print a copy of the completed form for their own records.
2. After, and only after the licensee reviews and signs the consent form, will they have access to the Authorization for Live Scan Fingerprinting Form that licensees are required to take with them to be fingerprinted. The form requires you to enter specific information that must be presented to your fingerprint vendor. Only forms with electronically entered licensee information should be provided to your fingerprint vendor (hand written information on the form is prohibited). Please do not make copies of this authorization form for other licensees; the FBI requires that each licensee sign the consent form. Failure to review and sign the consent form on the Division’s website would likely prevent you from being able to be fingerprinted and renew your license.
3. The Consent to Background Check form and the Authorization for Live Scan Fingerprinting Form can be found on the main page of the Division website (realestate.utah.gov). When you are authorized to be fingerprinted (based on information found in Question 4 above), click the RAP Back Service icon.

1. A copy of your license, or at least your license number, as you must submit your license number with your fingerprints;
2. Valid driver’s license or passport; and,
3. The Authorization for Live Scan Fingerprinting Form that you can print on our website once you have completed the Consent to Background Check Form. Print the completed authorization form and bring the form with you when you are fingerprinted. If you do not have all the requested information on the authorization form, you may not be fingerprinted, or your background check may not properly link to your license, which could delay your license renewal.

If you are fingerprinted using Direct Electronic Submission the processing time is typically up to 5 days. If you are fingerprinted using paper fingerprint cards (Two Original FD-258 Fingerprint Cards) it can take 15-30 days to process. Keep this in mind when deciding when and where to be fingerprinted. If you know you will be using a location that only does paper fingerprint cards, plan accordingly.

You will be prevented from renewing your license until the RELMS system receives an electronic acknowledgement from the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) that you have submitted your fingerprints to the FBI for processing, you have no criminal history, or the Division has reviewed your criminal history.

Most Direct Electronic Submission locations will still print off a fingerprint card for your records. The only time you need to send the fingerprint cards to the Division is if your fingerprints were not electronically submitted to BCI. If you are unsure, please ask the third-party provider if your fingerprints have been direct electronically submitted to BCI. If they have been electronically submitted to BCI, you may retain the cards for your own records. If they have not been submitted electronically to BCI, you may send the printed fingerprint cards (Two Original FD-258 Cards) to the Division and we will submit the cards electronically to BCI.

Dual Brokers only need to be fingerprinted for their principal broker license.

If you are a real estate agent and appraiser, you must be fingerprinted for each license type you hold. In addition, if you are already enrolled in RAP Back because you have been enrolled for another reason, you still must be fingerprinted and enrolled for each license you have with the Division. The FBI requires separate enrollment for each license type.

Once you are enrolled in RAP Back you will stay enrolled as long as you maintain your license and renew on time. Allowing your license to expire may result in removal from the RAP Back system requiring you to resubmit to a background check.