What is Live Scan?
About Live Scan
To better understand more about Live Scan is to to simply see it as the “new way” of fingerprinting services being provided by private facilities and law enforcement agencies. It's a fingerprinting technology as well technique, which involves capturing individual fingerprints or palm prints electronically. Earlier, ink and paper were used for capturing fingerprints. The ink fingerprint impression on standard FBI Ink Cards (FD-258) were then scanned into the computer and processed and stored electronically. The Live Scan Biometrics technology has replaced this traditional fingerprint ink card method of capturing and storing fingerprints.
The Process
The main equipments required to enable the process of electronic fingerprinting can typically include the scanning device for capturing the fingerprints, a workstation PC which can either be a laptop or a desktop and a mag-strip reader for capturing the descriptive data from an applicant’s driver’s license. This technology existed from last 20 years so it is not really that “new”. However, as of lately the Live Scan Biometrics industry and its adaptation has been growing tremendously not only in the government sector but also in the private and public sectors as well.
Today, the Live Scan fingerprinting services are becoming ever more popular in law enforcement communities. Many private organizations are also using it nowadays for biometric authentication and employment background check purposes. It is effective, efficient and extremely time saving.
Why Live Scan?
Law Enforcement Agencies
Well, the majority of the law enforcement agencies have started using Live Scan for identifying individuals. When a crime is committed, the forensic team is responsible for collecting fingerprints from the crime scene. The prints obtained are then processed and check for any possible matches against the prints stored in the system with the help of Live Scan.
Live Scan in United State has been a major tool to put away many law breakers like criminals, sexual offenders, arsonists, vandals, etc. They were mainly used for purposes like criminal booking, background checks, registering civil applicants, etc. Apart from United States, Live Scan has also become an essential tool for law agencies internationally. All registered nationals of a country are registered in the Live Scan system. The matching of fingerprints can take sometimes about ten minutes. The results are rendered quickly, that is why Live Scan is deemed efficient and effective by its users. It has helped many law enforcement agencies to put bad guys behind bars.
Live Scan Fingerprinting Locations
The number of Live Scan locations in the US alone continues to grow. Live scan applicants can either “walk-in” at most fingerprinting locations or schedule for an appointment.
In California alone there are hundreds and hundreds of Live scan fingerprinting locations throughout the state; these Live Scan fingerprinting locations represent various law enforcement agencies and small business Live Scan Operators. Such Live Scan locations are listed on the Department of Justice (DOJ) website or at CA Live Scan Fingerprinting Centers, http://LiveScan-Locations.net or just simply call (888) 498-4234.
