Certificate of Clearance

UTEC students must secure a Certificate of Clearance through the state of California before entering the classroom. The Certificate (or COC) is valid for five years and involves fingerprinting and a background check, also known as a Live Scan. Once per year, UTEC staff arrange for a mobile Live Scan operator to come to campus for student convenience. It can take several weeks for a COC to be granted, so students who need a Certificate of Clearance before the mobile Live Scan event should follow the instructions on this page.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing outlines these instructions on their website (under "Apply for Fingerprint Clearance (COC and ASCC)."

  1. Go to the CTC site to access Form 41-LS, ORI number A0281 (both numbers are already printed on the form).
  2. Fill out the form online, making sure to complete the sections that have an asterisk next to them, and then print out three copies of the first page only. You must bring those three copies with you to your Live Scan appointment. Note that you do not need to fill out the section at the top where it asks for contact name and telephone number. Also, your Social Security Number goes in two places: Where is says SSN, and also where it says “*OCA Number (Agency Identifying Number).” Detailed instructions for completing the entire form can be found at this link.
  3. Go to this webpage.
  4. Click on the dark blue “Educator Login” on the right-hand side of the page. You will be taken to a login page. Click on the link “Create Educator Account” to create your login and password. Enter your information as requested and click the Next button on the bottom of the page to move to the next screen. You must do this online process before your Live Scan appointment. Date of Birth Note: Some students have had trouble registering due to how they entered their date of birth. Sometimes entering your date of birth by hand (that is, NOT using the calendar/dropdown function) will allow you to proceed. Contact the UTEC program manager if you get stuck along the way. Switching browsers also sometimes helps. 
  5. Scroll all the way to the bottom where you will see “Apply for a Certificate of Clearance or Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate.” Select “Create New” to start. It will take you to the next screen.
  6. Under “Document/Authorization Pick,” click the drop-down menu for “General Application Category” and select “Certificate of Clearance/Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate.” For “Document/Authorization Title,” use the drop-down menu to select “Certificate of Clearance.” Then click the Next button.
  7. You will be asked a series of questions that you must answer. You can proceed to each next screen by clicking the “Next” button.
  8. On the final screen it will show that you will be charged a $52.65 fee, meaning “Total Amount” owed will be $52.65. Before proceeding to payment, scroll down a bit until you see: “Before you proceed to payment, you must indicate (by selecting yes) that you agree and understand the duties required of the Child Abuse and Neglect and
  9. Reporting Act and the Oath and Affidavit:” and answer the required fields. Then, click the “Complete Submission” button. You should then be taken to the payment screen. Immediately following the successful submission of the online application, you will be sent an email containing a confirmation number.
  10. Find a Live Scan location to have your fingerprinting done. You can go here for locations in San Francisco. There are also links to Live Scan locations in other California counties, if you are not in San Francisco. It is highly recommended that you call the Live Scan location to verify their hours, that they are still providing the service, and confirm their rolling fee. See below for fee explanations.


Live Scan Appointment Details

ID: You must bring a valid government ID, driver’s license, or passport to your appointment. Acceptable IDs: Driver’s License, Passport, Military ID or US Resident Card.


Forms: Three copies of the first page of your 41-LS form (see above).


Fees: There are four fees you must pay:

Online: CA CTC fee of $52.65, described above.

At Live Scan Location: 1) Department of Justice (DOJ) fee: $32.00; 2) FBI fee: $17.00; 3) Rolling fee: varies. The rolling fee is the fee you pay to have your fingerprint taken (i.e., your fingerprint is literally “rolled” to take an imprint). Rolling fees can greatly vary. Choose a Live Scan location with a reasonable rolling fee (a reasonable rolling fee is approximately $25-40). The links above to Live Scan locations should list their rolling fee, but always call ahead to double-check. So generally the total you will pay is $32 + $17 + rolling fee (e.g., $74 w/ a $25 rolling fee). Note that the DOJ and FBI fees may change without notice.