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The Georgia
Applicant Processing Service (GAPS)
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The
Georgia Bureau of Investigation has awarded Cogent Systems the contract to
provide electronic fingerprint submission services for applicants in the
State of Georgia. The new service, Georgia Applicant
Processing Services (GAPS), will decrease the need for agencies/businesses
to submit hardcopy fingerprint cards.
GAPS will provide the ability for applicants to have fingerprint
backgrounds checks processed electronically in a non-criminal justice
environment.
GAPS
provides fixed office locations throughout the state so that Georgia
residents will not have to travel more than 35 to 50 miles to a GAPS
office. See Print Locations. Cogent Systems also offers agencies and
businesses in Georgia
that wish to print their own employees the option to purchase the same
Livescan device used in the GAPS program. See Purchase Description. In addition,
Cogent plans to have mobile units available for agencies/businesses to
contract for the fingerprinting of large groups. Mobile operations will be at an additional
cost to the requesting agency.
Search results of
the fingerprint background check, as well as rapsheets, should be
available for the agency to retrieve from the GAPS website within 24 to 48 hours after
the applicant is fingerprinted and the transaction submitted to GCIC for
processing.
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Electronic
submission of fingerprint images will involve the use of a Cogent Livescan
machine. The Livescan is,
essentially, a sophisticated scanner and personal computer that captures
fingerprint images and demographic data and submits this information to
GBI. GBI conducts a search of its
criminal history records using the fingerprint images. In some cases, these images are also forwarded
to the FBI where a Federal Criminal History Record search is also conducted. Notifications of the search results are
then forwarded from the GBI/FBI to Cogent Systems were these results are
then electronically disseminated to the Georgia company or agency that
requested the search be completed.
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The GAPS Background Check
Process
The fingerprint-based background check is a multiple-step
process:
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Agency
Use
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Enrollment
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Any Georgia agency or business that
holds an ORI or Georgia OAC number may participate in the GAPS
program. As the holder of a ORI/OAC number
you are entitled to review the results of applicants state or federal (or
both) background checks that were conducted on your behalf. You must, however, enroll your ORI or OAC
in the service.
To enroll, go to the Agency Use
tab on the main page of this web site and click Agency Enrollment. You will be asked to complete an Agency
Enrollment form.
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Applicant
Use
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Registration
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The applicant must register with
Cogent Systems prior to going to the
fingerprint site. Fingerprint services
will not be provided to applicants that have not registered. Registration may be completed online or
over the phone.
Online Registration is available
24/7 at www.ga.cogentid.com.
Telephonic registration is
available at 1-888-439-2512 Monday thru Friday, 8AM to 6PM EST.
During the registration process,
demographic data about the applicant will be collected (name, address, SSN,
etc.) There will be no data
collection or registration at the fingerprint collection sites.
PLEASE REGISTER
YOURSELF ONLINE TO AVOID REGISTRATION AND DATA COLLECTION ERRORS,
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Definitions
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GAPS Applicant Waiver
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All applicants are required to
review and agree to these terms.
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Single Applicant Registration
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Use this registration option if
you are registering yourself, or are registering one individual for a
criminal history background check.
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Multiple Applicant Registration
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Use this registration option if you
are registering multiple applicants that will be paid for by one form of
payment, or billed to one approved Agency Billing Agreement.
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Payment
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The applicant will be required
to pay a fee for the fingerprint service and to secure a criminal history record
check.
Credit card or debit card
payments are accepted online during registration at www.ga.cogentid.com for
applicants that wish to pay electronically.
Money orders or cashiers checks PAYABLE
TO COGENT SYSTEMS will be accepted at GAPS service sites for those
applicants who do not have the means to pay electronically.
NO CASH TRANSACTIONS OR PERSONAL
CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE PRINT LOCATIONS.
Cogent Systems has established a
billing procedure that would allow the applicant’s fee to be billed
to an agency that is willing to pay.
Billing may only occur after the willing agency has completed the
Cogent Systems’ online Agency Enrollment process. To establish a billing account visit the Agency Enrollment link and complete
both STEPS 1 & 2.
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Definitions
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Credit Card
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Select this option if you wish
to pay with a credit card for the criminal history check. You will be prompted to enter credit card
information during the registration process.
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Applicant Money Order
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Select this option if you will
be making payment at the GAPS service site with a guaranteed form of
payment; money order or cashiers check only.
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Agency
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This option is for use by
agencies or businesses that have pre-established a Billing Account with
Cogent Systems. During the
registration process the use of a Billing Code and Billing Password will
allow the transaction to be billed to the Agency Billing Account. For more information see AGENCY BILLING
AGREEMENT or contact Cogent Systems.
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Fingerprinting
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Once registered and payment type
has been determined, the applicant may proceed to the fingerprint site of their
choice for fingerprinting. The
location of the fingerprint sites, the days and hours of operation for each
site are published on the GAPS website at Print
Locations.
LOCATIONS AND HOURS OF OPERATION
FOR FINGERPRINTING SITES MAY CHANGE.
APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THE GAPS WEB SITE OFTEN
At the GAPS site the applicants
must present a qualified State or Federal photo ID before beginning the
transaction. A list of approved ID types
may be found on the Cogent Systems’ website at www.ga.cogentid.com and see
WHAT TO BRING. Applicants will not
be processed if they cannot produce acceptable identification.
Receipts for successfully completed
submittals are available at the GAPS Website. You will need your social security number
and birth date to access your printable receipt.
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Results
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Results
of your criminal history background check will be made available only to the company or agency that requested
the records check. These results will be accessible from a
secure web server and may be viewed and downloaded for thirty (30) days
after the results become available.
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Group Fingerprinting Support
If
you have a requirement to fingerprint a large group of applicants (example… 300 college
education majors, a contractor’s entire staff of 120 employees,
50 bus drivers, etc.) mobile fingerprint units may be available for an
additional fee. Some fingerprint
service sites may have the ability to bring portable equipment to your
site. If you are in need of Group
Fingerprinting Support, visit www.ga.cogentid.com. Services sites in your area that have
mobile equipment will be listed.
NOTE: Mobile service requires
the visited site to provide broadband internet access and access through any
network firewall. Sites that offer
mobile services can provide you instructions, in advance of their visit, that
would allow fingerprinting to occur at your site. You must however, plan ahead. Requirements and guidelines for hosting a
mobile Livescan operation can be found at www.ga.cogentid.com
We encourage you to
utilize mobile printing service but you must plan ahead. Please do not overwhelm the service by
sending large groups of applicants to the fixed site locations. If you must send your large group of applicants
to a fixed site, please plan for their arrival to occur over days and weeks,
not hours.
Confidentiality
(Security) of Applicant Information
On-site
access to the Livescan equipment, and the data traveling from the equipment,
is comprehensively secured and regulated by both Cogent Systems and the
regulations governing the use of that data.
The Computer System - The system will be housed
within a secured network that is protected by firewall devices configured
explicitly to allow only permissible protocols and traffic. Cogent Systems will ensure that all devices
procured under this process continue to adhere to the State of Georgia’s Security
requirements. The proposed systems
will be configured to provide a point of defense with controlled access from
both inside and outside the network.
The Livescan systems will be configured to support logging and audit
capability. Furthermore, the Livescan
solution will support 128 bit encryption.
Inquiries or Questions
All
information regarding process, policy and print locations may be found at www.ga.cogentid.com.
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