Fingerprint Indentification Systems
Five IAFIS Services
Ten-Print Based Fingerprint Identification Services
A ten-print fingerprint submission contains ten-rolled fingerprint impressions and corresponding flat fingerprint impressions.
Fingerprints are acquired as a result of an arrest at the city, county, state or federal level. The fingerprints are processed locally and then electronically forwarded to a state or other federal agency system for processing. The fingerprints are then electronically forwarded through the CJIS Wide Area Network (WAN) to the FBI's IAFIS for processing. Mailed ten-print fingerprint cards are converted to an electronic format for processing in the IAFIS environment.
Fingerprints are acquired related to a background check for employment, licensing, and other non-criminal justice purposes where authorized by federal and state law and in compliance with appropriate regulations. (To determine what occupations are authorized within your state, contact your state police or your state criminal history repository). Like criminal fingerprints, civil fingerprints are processed by local, state or other federal agencies prior to being submitted to the IAFIS for processing.
Latent Fingerprint Services
The IAFIS supports both electronic and hard copy submissions of latent fingerprints. The IAFIS provides the FBI's Laboratory with enhanced search capabilities using databases specially designed for matching latent fingerprints. Latent fingerprint specialists return decisions to the requestor and add any unidentified latent fingerprints and their features to the unsolved latent fingerprint file.
Subject Search and Criminal History Services
The Interstate Identification Index (III) segment of IAFIS is the national system designed to provide automated Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). The III stores the CHRI of federal offenders and those offenders established by participating and non-participating III states. Each III record is created through the submission of fingerprint images to IAFIS. The III participating states establish and update records within III through the submission of first and subsequent fingerprint images of arrested subjects. Once these records are established, the III participating states provide requested criminal history records when an electronic inquiry for a state-maintained record is processed by the III system. States participating in the final stage of III as National Fingerprint File (NFF) participants, submit only the first arrest fingerprint images on a subject to establish a pointer record within the III segment. Any subsequent activity related to this NFF pointer record will be the sole responsibility of the NFF participating state. If a direct terminal inquiry or an IAFIS fingerprint inquiry identifies a person with a criminal history in one or more NFF participating states, a Criminal History Request is forwarded to the participating NFF state's criminal history system for the appropriate response.
Document and Imaging Services
Document Services - The IAFIS processes documents associated with criminal history records received by electronic input, hard copy, or Machine Readable Data format. These documents include arrest dispositions, expungements, and other miscellaneous updates. For more information on criminal history document submission click on the link, "Arrest Disposition Submission."
Fingerprint Image Services - The IAFIS supplies electronic images of fingerprints to authorized agencies upon request. See the Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Specification (EFTS), Section 3.6-3.7 for more information.
Photo Services - The IAFIS has the capability to accept, store, and distribute photos. See the EFTS, Appendix K for information regarding photo submission and Section 3.10 for photo retrieval.
Remote Ten-Print and Latent Fingerprint Search Services
The IAFIS supports remote ten-print and latent fingerprint searches by law enforcement agencies. The results of remote ten-print and latent searches are returned electronically and include a list of potential matching candidates and their corresponding fingerprints for comparison and identification by the requesting agency.
The FBI will provide the following remote search software packages to criminal justice agencies upon request, free of charge.
Remote Fingerprint Editing Software - The Remote Fingerprint Editing Software (RFES) is a complete software package that will perform remote searches of the IAFIS. RFES supports remote IAFIS transactions to include images and feature-based searches for both latent and ten-print fingerprints. RFES editing and human interface were developed based on use and advice of both local law enforcement and FBI latent specialists.
 |
The fingerprint collected is crossreferenced with databases from around the country. Minutiae is the term used to describe recognizable details on a fingerprint. Details are marked, by the software, on the digitized image of the fingerprint. |
 |
A circle represents a minutia termed a ridge ending. This is where a ridge line ends. |
 |
A bifurcation is a ridge that splits into two ridges and is symbolized with a square. |
 |
A delta is a location where ridges form a "Y" and is indicated by a circle with a "V" peaking at the center of the circle. The sides of the "V" reach to the edge of the circle. There is a short tail also reaching from the point of the "V" to the circle to indicate the direction. |
 |
A site where the ridges make a U-turn is called a core. A circle with a small square in the center and a tail reaching from a corner of the square to the edge of the circle symbolizes the core. |
 |
After locating the minutiae on a latent fingerprint, a search can be made of sets of ten prints that have been archived. Matching prints are then turned over to the latent fingerprint examiner. |
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
