Live scan (also written as Live Scan or livescan) refers to an electronic, inkless method of capturing fingerprint and palm print images using a digital scanner, and transmitting them directly to law enforcement or government agencies for criminal background checks and identity verification. It replaces the traditional method of rolling fingers in ink and pressing them onto paper fingerprint cards.
Technology and Process
A live scan system consists of a fingerprint scanning device (using optical, capacitive, or other biometric sensor technology), a computer workstation, and specialized software. The scanner captures rolled impressions (the finger is rolled from one side to the other to capture full ridge detail), flat (plain) impressions, and multi-finger "slap" captures. The software performs real-time quality checks on image clarity, contrast, and completeness, prompting the operator to recapture any prints that do not meet agency-specified quality thresholds. Once accepted, the data is encrypted and transmitted via secure networks to state or federal repositories such as state Departments of Justice, state police systems, or the FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) system.
Applications
Live scan is used primarily for fingerprint-based background checks in the following contexts:
- Criminal booking: Law enforcement agencies use live scan to process arrested individuals, with fingerprints compared against national databases such as IDENT1 (UK) or the FBI's NGI (US).
- Employment screening: Required for positions involving trust or contact with vulnerable populations, such as teachers, healthcare workers, childcare providers, and security personnel.
- Professional licensing and certification: Many licensing boards (e.g., for real estate agents, private investigators, security guards) require live scan fingerprinting as part of the application process.
- Volunteer background checks: Organizations working with children, the elderly, or disabled individuals may require live scan checks.
- Adoption and foster care: Prospective parents or caregivers undergo live scan fingerprinting as part of the vetting process.
- Immigration and visa processing: Some immigration procedures require digital fingerprint capture for identity verification and security screening.
Advantages Over Ink-and-Paper Methods
- Speed: Electronic transmission eliminates postal delays; results can be returned within hours or days rather than weeks.
- Accuracy: Automated quality checks reduce smudging, incomplete impressions, and other errors common with ink cards.
- Security: Encrypted digital transmission reduces risks of lost, misplaced, or unauthorized access to physical fingerprint cards.
- Convenience: The process is cleaner and typically faster for applicants; multiple copies can be generated from a single capture.
Regional Usage
In the United States, most law enforcement agencies use live scan as their primary fingerprinting tool. The California Department of Justice, for example, processes approximately 2 million state-level and 1.2 million federal-level background checks annually through live scan submissions. In the United Kingdom, many police custody suites are equipped with live scan machines that allow suspects' fingerprints to be compared against the IDENT1 national database, with results typically reported in under ten minutes.
Etymology
The term is a compound of live (meaning real-time or current) and scan (referring to digital image capture), distinguishing the process from offline ink-and-paper methods.
