Fingerprint-based search
Also called biometric search · ten-print search
Definition
A search of criminal history records keyed to fingerprints rather than to a name and date of birth.
Context
This is what distinguishes the Identity History Summary from a commercial name-based database search. A name search returns records matching a string; a fingerprint search returns records matching a person.
Government sources
Where this term comes from.
- Identity History Summary Checks
Federal Bureau of Investigation · reviewed 2026-08-01
fbi.gov returns 403 to all retrieval, so this page was read from the Internet Archive snapshot of 31 July 2026 (web.archive.org/web/20260731011046). That snapshot carries the “Current Processing Time” block, the $18 fee, and the channeler eligibility restriction quoted on this site.
- 28 CFR 20.33 — Dissemination of criminal history record information
Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) · reviewed 2026-08-01
Related terms
- Identity History SummaryThe document the FBI issues to an individual listing the criminal history information maintained about them at the FBI under their fingerprints — or stating that no such information exists.
- Name-based checkA search of records by name and identifiers rather than by fingerprints, typically performed by a commercial data provider.
- FD-258The FBI's standard fingerprint card, used to capture and submit an applicant's fingerprints in support of a request.
Where this term is used
- What Is an FBI Identity History Summary?The Identity History Summary is the FBI's official name for the record of arrest and related fingerprint submissions held on an individual. This article defines the document, explains what it contains, and identifies the legal authority under which a person may obtain their own copy.
- The Identity History Summary Is Not an Employment Background CheckTwo different regimes are routinely confused. An Identity History Summary is a record disclosed to its own subject under federal regulation. Commercial employment screening is a separate activity governed by consumer reporting law. This article sets out the distinction.