Louisiana Teacher Fingerprinting Requirements
Why Fingerprinting Must Come First
As of January 1, 2025, Louisiana requires a fingerprint-based Criminal Background Check (CBC) for every teacher certification action — initial applications, renewals, advancements, and endorsement modifications. The background check feeds the "Clear Credential" designation in the LEC portal, and without it, the portal blocks access to all standard application forms.
This is not a formality you can handle later. If you begin a preparation program, pass your Praxis exams, and secure a job offer — but have not completed your fingerprinting — your certification application cannot move forward. The $55.75 appointment should be the first thing you schedule.
How to Schedule Your IdentoGO Appointment
Fingerprinting is handled exclusively through IdentoGO, operated by IDEMIA. You schedule your appointment at uenroll.identogo.com.
When prompted for a service code, enter 27N5HQ. This is the LDOE Certification and Background Credentialing code. It routes your results directly to the Louisiana Department of Education.
This code is non-negotiable. If you enter any other service code — your school district's code, a childcare background check code, or any other agency code — your results will be sent to the wrong organization. LDOE will never receive them, your application will remain blocked, and your $55.75 fee is forfeited. You must schedule and pay for an entirely new appointment.
This is the single most common and most expensive routine mistake in the Louisiana certification process.
What the Appointment Costs
Standard appointment: $55.75. This covers the FBI and Louisiana State Police fingerprint check.
Out-of-state ink-and-roll card scan: An additional $39.95 if you are located outside Louisiana and cannot visit an IdentoGO center in person. You can submit fingerprint cards by mail for digital scanning.
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How Long Results Take
Results are transmitted electronically from IdentoGO to LDOE. Processing time ranges from 48 hours to 3 weeks depending on volume and whether any flags require manual review.
Once your results clear, the LDOE updates your Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP) profile with a "Clear Credential" notation. You can verify your status by logging into teachlouisiana.net. Until this designation appears, you cannot submit any certification application.
Background checks must be refreshed every five years. If your most recent check is older than five years, the portal will block your application even if you previously had a Clear Credential.
The Clear Credential Gate
The LEC portal has an automated check at the login level. When you attempt to open any application form — whether it is for a new Practitioner License, a Level 1 certificate, or a renewal — the system first verifies your CBC status.
If no active Clear Credential exists, the only application you can access is "Fingerprint Clearance Required Before Proceeding." You cannot bypass or override this. It is a system-level lock.
CANS Check: A Separate Requirement
The DCFS Child Abuse and Neglect Clearance System (CANS) check is a different background screening required by local school districts for all new hires. It verifies that the candidate has no substantiated findings in the Louisiana child abuse and neglect registry.
The CANS check is not administered by the LDOE and does not affect your LEC portal status. It is handled by the employing school district's HR department during the hiring process. Both checks — the state-level CBC through IdentoGO and the district-level CANS through DCFS — must be completed before you can enter a classroom.
Do not confuse the two. Completing one does not satisfy the other.
What to Do If Your Results Are Delayed
If more than three weeks have passed since your IdentoGO appointment and your Clear Credential has not appeared in the portal:
Contact IdentoGO first to confirm your results were transmitted. The LDOE does not handle IdentoGO scheduling, technical issues, or appointment modifications.
Submit a support ticket through the LDOE Teacher Certification Help Center (teachercerthelp.doe.louisiana.gov) if IdentoGO confirms transmission but your portal status has not updated.
Use the help portal for background check status questions — it routes your ticket directly to the certification team.
If you made the wrong-code error, there is no way to redirect existing results. You must schedule a new appointment with the correct code (27N5HQ) and pay the full fee again.
The Louisiana Teacher Certification Guide includes a step-by-step fingerprinting walkthrough with screenshots of the IdentoGO scheduling flow, so you get the code right the first time.
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