CJIS INFORMATION LETTER

U.S. Department of Justice 

Federal Bureau of Investigation 

Criminal Justice Information Services Division 

CJIS INFORMATION LETTER 

Enhancement of the CJIS Division’s Biographic 

Verifi cation Service 

In 2006, the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact 

(Compact) Council provided input and direction regarding the FBI’s 

policy to permit name checks for individuals whose fingerprints were 

rejected twice for image quality issues. The guidance was limited to 

federal, state, and regulatory agencies with established legal authorities 

for fingerprint submissions for noncriminal justice purposes. This policy 

allowed agencies to complete a CJIS Name Check Request form when 

their request met all the following conditions: 

 The request was for noncriminal justice purposes, and 

 The request was rejected twice for image quality issues, or 

 The applicant was permanently physically unable to provide 

fi ngerprints, specifically double amputees. 

In May 2019, the Compact Council approved a proposal to expand that 

policy to include those who are permanently incapable of physically 

providing legible fingerprint images due to amputation, illness, or some 

injury affecting their hands or fingers. The Compact Council adopted 

the definition of “permanently physically incapable” as: 

An individual whose medical condition or disability 

permanently prevents the collection of any fingerprint 

impressions or quality impressions due to medical 

degradation of ridge detail. Also, an individual whose 

fingerprint impressions due to age or nature of work are 

determined to be illegible after two quality rejects for 

which the second submission included a new collection of 

fingerprints. 

The policy authorizes agencies to perform a biographic query of the 

Next Generation Identification (NGI) System for individuals who are 

double amputees or who meet the definition of permanently physically 

incapable. The policy also establishes the processes for using the CJIS 

Biographic Verification Service, which is the new name for the previous 

Name Search Service. 

The CJIS Biographic Verification Service should be considered only as 

a final attempt to request national criminal history information, because 

as a name-based search, it does not constitute a positive identification. 

June 2021 

In This Issue: 

• Enhancement of the CJIS 

Division’s Biographic 

Verification Service 

• See the latest posts on the 

CJIS Link blog 

CJIS Information Letters 

available on the Law 

Enforcement Enterprise

Portal (LEEP) 

CJIS Information Letters are 

available via the Internet on 

LEEP at https://leo.cjis.gov/ 

leoContent/lesig/cjis/general_ 

information/newsletters/ 

information_letter/ or by 

clicking on: 

• Special Interest Group

• By Access Type 

• Unrestricted 

• CJIS 

• General Information Tab 

• Newsletters and Reports

• CJIS Information Letters 

Users with questions 

concerning access to LEEP 

should contact the LEEP help 

desk by telephone at 

888-334-4536. 

In addition, this CJIS 

Information Letter will be sent 

to CJIS Systems Offi cers, State 

Identification Bureaus, and 

Compact Council members via 

email. 

CJIS Information Letter 1 21-1 
 

 

An agency wishing to use the CJIS Biographic Verification Service must email a completed CJIS Biographic 

Verification Request form to CJISBioVerify@fbi.gov. The CJIS Biographic Verification Request Form and 

instructions are accessible at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics. 

There are two categories of individuals identified in the Compact Council’s definition of “permanently 

physically incapable.” The area of the form the agency must complete depends on the conditions of the 

individual: 

Permanently Physically Incapable or Double Amputee 

The agency is not required to submit a completed fingerprint card or submission with “AMP,” “All AMP,” or 

similar notations for individuals who are double amputees or those whose medical conditions or disabilities 

prevent the collection of any fingerprint impression. 

The agency should select “Permanently Physically Incapable or Double Amputee” as the reason for the 

request. All fields noted with an asterisk are required. If the form is incomplete or missing any required data 

fields, CJIS Division staff will not process the request and will return the form to the agency for correction and 

resubmission. 

Fingerprint Impressions are Determined to be Illegible 

Before submitting a CJIS Biographic Verification Request, the following criteria must be met: 

 The agency must attempt to send the fingerprint submissions twice and receive a rejection response

from the NGI System due to poor fi ngerprint quality.

 The second submission must have been a new collection of fingerprints. (Note that the NGI System

cannot technically confirm the second submission was a new collection of fingerprints [rather than a

resubmission of the first set of illegible fingerprints]. This procedure will be enforced through policy and

audit.)

 The fingerprints must be from an individual whose fingerprints were illegible due to medical degradation

of ridge detail, age, or nature of work.

 One of the rejection responses must have been the L0008 error message stating “The quality of the

characteristics is too low to be used. Candidate(s) were found. Please resubmit a new set of fingerprints

for comparison to the candidate(s).”

The agency should select “Fingerprint Impressions Are Determined To Be Illegible” as the reason for the 

request. All fields noted with an asterisk and the two Transaction Control Numbers associated with the rejected 

submissions are required. If the form is incomplete or missing any required data fields, CJIS Division staff will 

not process the request and will return the form to the agency for correction and resubmission. 

The agency must submit the CJIS Biographic Verification Request within 90 days of the second rejection, and 

the second rejection should have been within 1 year of the fi rst rejection. 

The FBI’s website at www.fbi.gov also provides guidance and training for taking fingerprints under special 

circumstances, such as deformed or missing fingers, fully amputated fi ngers, tip-amputated fi ngers, extra 

fi ngers, scarred fingers, and worn fingerprints. 

For additional information about recording legible fingerprints or to request training, contact https://fbi.gov/ 

services/cjis/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics/recording-legible-fingerprints or the CJIS Division’s Customer 

Service Group by telephone at 304-625-5590 or by email at identity@fbi.gov. 

CJIS Information Letter 2 21-1
 

 

Form Number 1-791 (Rev. 03/31/2021) 

OMB # 1110-0060 

CJIS BIOGRAPHIC VERIFICATION REQUEST 

*ORI of State/Federal/Regulatory Agency: 

Name and Address of requesting agency: 

Name: 

Address: 

Name of agency’s Point of Contact (POC) for the response: 

Phone number of POC: 

*Reason for Request: (Mark appropriate reason for request.) 

☐ Permanently Physically Incapable or Double Amputee (If selected, complete Section One) 

An individual whose medical condition or disability permanently prevents the collection of any 

fingerprint impressions. 

☐ Fingerprint Impressions Are Determined To Be Illegible (If selected, complete Section Two) 

An individual whose fingerprints impressions are of insufficient quality due to medical degradation of 

ridge detail, age or nature of work. 

SECTION ONE: PERMANENTLY PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE OR DOUBLE AMPUTEE 

*Name (Last, First, Middle): 

*Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): *Sex: *Race: 

Alias Name (Last, First, Middle): Place of Birth: 

Social Security Number: Miscellaneous Number: 

State Identification Number: OCA: 

SECTION TWO: FINGERPRINT IMPRESSION ARE DETERMINED TO BE ILLEGIBLE 

*Name (Last, First, Middle): 

*Two TCNs of the subject’s fingerprint submission one of which is required to be the L0008 error message 

with the caveat of “The quality of the characteristics is too low to be used. Candidate(s) were found. Please 

resubmit a new set of fingerprints for comparison to the candidate(s).” 

(1) (2) 

*Asterisk fields are required in accordance with the type of request. E-mail the completed form to 

CJISBioVerify@fbi.gov. CJIS staff will respond to the original e-mail. The FBI notes the NGI System or FBI CJIS 

Division staff can neither confirm nor deny positive identification based on a biographical search. 

CJIS Information Letter 3 21-1 
See the latest posts on the CJIS Link blog 

Learn how the FBI’s Mobile Biometric Application helps special 

agents and task force members with criminal bookings, security 

vetting, and identification. Users get responses within minutes, 

which is especially beneficial for agents working in a remote 

area. 

Find out how a phone call to the National Threat Operations 

Center led to the arrest of a fugitive who had been wanted since 

he escaped from prison in 1974. 

Visit the CJIS Link blog at www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/cjis-link to 

learn how the programs and services administered by the FBI’s 

CJIS Division can help your agency fight crime. 

CJIS Information Letter 4 21-1