There are old UPINs and there are new UPINs. The old UPINs you applied by mailing in the application with your prints. These took 9+ months. When you finally got a UPIN it was often a disappointment. It still went to "Researching" when a background check was performed. It requires a human at the FBI to match the UPIN to your name and confirm it is all good. When they are busy it would still time out and you would get a "Delayed". This sucks
Then there is the new UPIN. Recently they started accepting UPIN applications online. They are done completely online. You take a picture of your filled out fingerprint card and upload it as part of the online application. Our customers typically get a new UPIN in about 7 days. Think of it as the equivalent of a online Form 1 vs a paper Form 1 (30 days vs 9+ months). The new UPIN is better than the old UPIN also, not just faster. When we do a background check with it, we get an instant "Proceed". If I mistype the UPIN or the persons name, I get an immediate error saying they do not match. Clearly the computer is doing the match and when it succeeds, you get a proceed. No more dependance on a human to look at it and not be off on their permanent coffee break.
So if you don't have one and suffer delays, apply.
You can order the fingerprint cards here:
Distribution Center Order Form | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
You can self print and get an inkpad at amazon or stapes or cvs or...
You can watch videos on youtube on how to print yourself correctly (roll, no pressure).