§ 20.3 Definitions. As used in these regulations: ( a ) *Act* means the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, 42 U.S.C. 3701, *et seq.,* as amended.
( b ) *Administration of criminal justice* means performance of any of the following activities: Detection, apprehension, detention, pretrial release, post-trial release, prosecution, adjudication, correctional supervision, or rehabilitation of accused persons or criminal offenders. The administration of criminal justice shall include criminal identification activities and the collection, storage, and dissemination of criminal history record information.
( c ) *Control Terminal Agency* means a duly authorized state, foreign, or international criminal justice agency with direct access to the National Crime Information Center telecommunications network providing statewide (or equivalent) service to its criminal justice users with respect to the various systems managed by the FBI CJIS Division.
( d ) *Criminal history record information* means information collected by criminal justice agencies on individuals consisting of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, informations, or other formal criminal charges, and any disposition arising therefrom, including acquittal, sentencing, correctional supervision, and release. The term does not include identification information such as fingerprint records if such information does not indicate the individual's involvement with the criminal justice system.
( e ) *Criminal history record information system* means a system including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal history record information.
( f ) *Criminal history record repository* means the state agency designated by the governor or other appropriate executive official or the legislature to perform centralized recordkeeping functions for criminal history records and services in the state.
( g ) *Criminal justice agency* means: ( 1 ) Courts; and
( 2 ) A governmental agency or any subunit thereof that performs the administration of criminal justice pursuant to a statute or executive order, and that allocates a substantial part of its annual budget to the administration of criminal justice. State and federal Inspector General Offices are included.
( h ) *Dealer* has the meaning set forth for that term in section 921(a)(11) of title 18, United States Code.
( i ) *Direct access* means having the authority to access systems managed by the FBI CJIS Division, whether by manual or automated methods, not requiring the assistance of or intervention by any other party or agency.
( j ) *Disposition* means information disclosing that criminal proceedings have been concluded and the nature of the termination, including information disclosing that the police have elected not to refer a matter to a prosecutor or that a prosecutor has elected not to commence criminal proceedings; or disclosing that proceedings have been indefinitely postponed and the reason for such postponement. Dispositions shall include, but shall not be limited to, acquittal, acquittal by reason of insanity, acquittal by reason of mental incompetence, case continued without finding, charge dismissed, charge dismissed due to insanity, charge dismissed due to mental incompetency, charge still pending due to insanity, charge still pending due to mental incompetence, guilty plea, nolle prosequi, no paper, nolo contendere plea, convicted, youthful offender determination, deceased, deferred disposition, dismissed-civil action, found insane, found mentally incompetent, pardoned, probation before conviction, sentence commuted, adjudication withheld, mistrial-defendant discharged, executive clemency, placed on probation, paroled, or released from correctional supervision.
( k ) *Executive order* means an order of the President of the United States or the Chief Executive of a state that has the force of law and that is published in a manner permitting regular public access.
( l ) *Federal Service Coordinator* means a non-Control Terminal Agency that has a direct telecommunications line to the National Crime Information Center network.
( m ) *Fingerprint Identification Records System* or “FIRS” means the following FBI records: Criminal fingerprints and/or related criminal justice information submitted by authorized agencies having criminal justice responsibilities; civil fingerprints submitted by federal agencies and civil fingerprints submitted by persons desiring to have their fingerprints placed on record for personal identification purposes; identification records, sometimes referred to as “rap sheets,” which are compilations of criminal history record information pertaining to individuals who have criminal fingerprints maintained in the FIRS; and a name index pertaining to all individuals whose fingerprints are maintained in the FIRS. See the FIRS Privacy Act System Notice periodically published in the Federal Register for further details.
( n ) *Firearm* has the meaning set forth for that term in section 921(a)(3) of title 18, United States Code.
( o ) *Importer* has the meaning set forth for that term in section 921(a)(9) of title 18, United States Code.
( p ) *Interstate Identification Index System* or “III System” means the cooperative federal-state system for the exchange of criminal history records, and includes the National Identification Index, the National Fingerprint File, and, to the extent of their participation in such system, the criminal history record repositories of the states and the FBI.
( q ) *Manufacturer* has the meaning set forth for that term in section 921(a)(10) of title 18, United States Code.
( r ) *National Crime Information Center* or “NCIC” means the computerized information system, which includes telecommunications lines and any message switching facilities that are authorized by law, regulation, or policy approved by the Attorney General of the United States to link local, state, tribal, federal, foreign, and international criminal justice agencies for the purpose of exchanging NCIC related information. The NCIC includes, but is not limited to, information in the III System. See the NCIC Privacy Act System Notice periodically published in the Federal Register for further details.
( s ) *National Fingerprint File* or “NFF” means a database of fingerprints, or other uniquely personal identifying information, relating to an arrested or charged individual maintained by the FBI to provide positive identification of record subjects indexed in the III System.
( t ) *National Identification Index* or “NII” means an index maintained by the FBI consisting of names, identifying numbers, and other descriptive information relating to record subjects about whom there are criminal history records in the III System.
( u ) *Nonconviction data* means arrest information without disposition if an interval of one year has elapsed from the date of arrest and no active prosecution of the charge is pending; information disclosing that the police have elected not to refer a matter to a prosecutor, that a prosecutor has elected not to commence criminal proceedings, or that proceedings have been indefinitely postponed; and information that there has been an acquittal or a dismissal.
( v ) For purposes of 28 CFR 20.33(e), *person* has the meaning set forth for that term in section 921(a)(1) of title 18, United States Code.
( w ) *State* means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.
( x ) *Statute* means an Act of Congress or of a state legislature or a provision of the Constitution of the United States or of a state.
[Order No. 2258-99, 64 FR 52226, Sept. 28, 1999, as amended by Order No. 5949-2024, 89 FR 54346, July 1, 2024]