If you've ever been fingerprinted for work or government clearance, you know that the process can be a bit of a hassle. First, you have to dampen each finger using an inkpad and then press and roll each finger carefully to get a clear, legible impression. Additionally, the ink can be difficult to remove, and it can take weeks or even months for your fingerprints to process.
Digital fingerprinting, like live scan fingerprinting, is different. With live scan fingerprinting, your fingerprints are scanned electronically and sent to the appropriate agency almost immediately. This means you don't have to wait for your prints to be processed, saving you a lot of time and hassle. Here's what you need to know about live scan fingerprinting and how it works.
Why Do You Need Digital Fingerprints?
There are two main reasons a person needs to be fingerprinted: criminal and civil.
- Criminal fingerprinting. Criminal fingerprinting is done at the time you are arrested. These records are kept and stored by the FBI in a national database.
- Civil fingerprinting. Civil fingerprinting is done as a background check for employment. The military, post office, and various government departments typically require fingerprints for a background check prior to employment, although any employer can request it. These records may or may not be stored long-term. Each state has its own rules.
How Do Digital Fingerprint Scans Work?
Live scan fingerprinting is a type of electronic or digital fingerprinting. When you are fingerprinted using live scan technology, your fingerprints are scanned into a computer using a special scanner. The computer then sends the fingerprints to the appropriate agency, such as the FBI or state police.
What Are the Advantages of Digital Fingerprints?
The advantage of live scan over traditional ink-and-paper fingerprinting is that it is much faster. With traditional fingerprinting, someone has to manually enter your fingerprints into the system, which can take weeks or even months. With live scan fingerprinting, your fingerprints are entered into the system almost immediately. This can be a huge time saver if you're trying to get a job or apply for a professional license.
Another advantage of live scan is that it is more accurate than traditional fingerprinting. With traditional fingerprinting, there is always the possibility of human error when someone enters your fingerprints into the system. With digital fingerprinting, human error is impossible because the fingerprints are scanned directly into the computer.
If you need to get your fingerprints taken for any reason, you may want to go with live scan fingerprinting over traditional ink-and-paper fingerprinting. It's faster and more accurate, saving you a lot of time and hassle in the long run.
Contact a company like A-1 Fingerprinting and Drug Screening to learn more.
