What must an applicant submit for a state and federal criminal records check?

To conduct a state and federal criminal records check, an applicant is required to submit a full set of fingerprints. This procedure is vital as it allows law enforcement agencies to accurately identify individuals and search their criminal history. Fingerprints serve as a unique biometric identifier, enabling the accurate matching of an individual's records across various databases and jurisdictions.

The other choices, such as proof of residency, a letter of recommendation, and educational transcripts, are not relevant to the process of obtaining a criminal records check. These documents may serve important functions in other contexts, like job applications or licensing, but they do not fulfill the specific requirements for a criminal background check, which primarily relies on fingerprint verification for identity and record accuracy.