Name-based searches look for criminal history records that match a person’s name and numeric identifier, such as date of birth and/or Social Security number. Name-based searches have two weaknesses:
False-positives – a record is returned on a person with the same name and numeric identifier provided in the request but who is not the subject of inquiry.
False-negatives – no match is erroneously returned because the name or numeric identifier in the record does not match the name or numeric identifier used in the inquiry. This can happen when an individual has multiple names or aliases, such as a married, maiden, adopted or goes by an assumed name.
Fingerprint-based searches are more reliable than name-based searches because the criminal record is based on fingerprints cards taken from the individual upon arrest or court order. When fingerprint cards are submitted for a search, they are scanned into the Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), which compares the fingerprint image from the request against a database of fingerprint images from known criminal offenders.