What is the difference between Live Scan & Ink Fingerprinting?
Live Scan fingerprinting is digitally captured on a special computer, certified by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and state criminal justice agencies such as FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement). This technology digitally captures your fingerprints without getting your fingers dirty and is transmitted electronically to the state criminal justice agency, the FBI or other authorized agencies. Digitally captured fingerprints can also be printed out on the FD258 blue & white applicant fingerprinting card. Ink fingerprinting is done the conventional way where your fingers are rolled in a special black ink authorized by the FBI on the hard fingerprinting card or authorized paper type card.
I would add that “LIVESCAN FINGERPRINTING” is composed of hardware and software, whereas “INK FINGERPRINTING” is composed of a hard paper card and ink.
I often get calls from people who visit a website and find a livescan scanner that ranges in price (usually a few thousand dollars) and mistakenly assume that is all they need to do livescan fingerprinting. The truth is, most livescan “systems” cost over $5000 depending on the channel and functional requirements and include both hardware and software.
Related Questions
- I was fingerprinted using an ink card just prior to the District getting the Live Scan fingerprinting equipment on June 27, 2004. Why do I have to be printed again?
- Are there any prerequisites to establishing a fingerprinting account with Pro-1 Live Scan?
- What is the difference between Live Scan & Ink Fingerprinting?
