Method of detecting zones (Z1a, Z1b, Z1c, Z1d, Z2a, Z2b, Z2d, Z3a) likely to contain at least one finger print in an image of at least one portion of hand of an individual, the method comprising: a) a step of acquiring the image of at least one illuminated portion of hand using an optical sensor and without contact with this hand; and the method being further characterized in that it also comprises: b) a step of determining a plurality of zones (Z1a, Z1b, Z1c, Z1d) of the acquired image, each zone thus determined being a continuous zone of points of the acquired image which each exhibit a luminous intensity level greater than or equal to a luminous intensity threshold value (Vsn, Vs1) selected for the determination of the zone thus determined; and c) a first selection step for selecting, from among the zones determined, the zones which are likely to represent at least one print of a finger, this selection being carried out with the aid of at least one filtering criterion of a first type, chosen from among a finger shape identification criterion and/or a finger print standard texture identification criterion and/or a finger standard colour identification criterion and in which a set of threshold values (Vsn, Vs, Vs2, Vs3) of luminous intensity lying between a minimum threshold value (Vsmin) of intensity and a maximum threshold value (VsMax) of intensity is selected and the step of determining a plurality of zones of the acquired image is carried out using each of the threshold values (Vs1, Vs2, Vs3) of the set of threshold values (Vsn), and then the plurality of the zones (Z1a, Z1b, Z1c, Z1d, Z2a, Z2b, Z2d, Z3a) of the acquired image which have been determined with each of the threshold values (Vs1, Vs2, Vs3) of the set of threshold values (Vsn) is stored. a) a step of acquiring the image of at least one illuminated portion of hand using an optical sensor and without contact with this hand; and the method being further characterized in that it also comprises: b) a step of determining a plurality of zones (Z1a, Z1b, Z1c, Z1d) of the acquired image, each zone thus determined being a continuous zone of points of the acquired image which each exhibit a luminous intensity level greater than or equal to a luminous intensity threshold value (Vsn, Vs1) selected for the determination of the zone thus determined; and c) a first selection step for selecting, from among the zones determined, the zones which are likely to represent at least one print of a finger, this selection being carried out with the aid of at least one filtering criterion of a first type, chosen from among a finger shape identification criterion and/or a finger print standard texture identification criterion and/or a finger standard colour identification criterion and in which a set of threshold values (Vsn, Vs, Vs2, Vs3) of luminous intensity lying between a minimum threshold value (Vsmin) of intensity and a maximum threshold value (VsMax) of intensity is selected and the step of determining a plurality of zones of the acquired image is carried out using each of the threshold values (Vs1, Vs2, Vs3) of the set of threshold values (Vsn), and then the plurality of the zones (Z1a, Z1b, Z1c, Z1d, Z2a, Z2b, Z2d, Z3a) of the acquired image which have been determined with each of the threshold values (Vs1, Vs2, Vs3) of the set of threshold values (Vsn) is stored.