# IAFIS Database Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iafis-database-question/484324>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iafis-database-question/484324 "2009-02-03T22:47:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iafis-database-question/484324/1 "2009-02-03T22:47:00Z")

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OK, I have a friend who is going to be fingerprinted for a new job. One of the fingerprint cards is going to FBI. Being somewhat paranoid, he wants to know how long do they keep the prints on file (in the IAFIS/Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System) or if they are destroyed after the background check?

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**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iafis-database-question/484324/2 "2009-02-04T04:07:48Z")

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> [@Jormungandr](#):
>
> OK, I have a friend who is going to be fingerprinted for a new job. One of the fingerprint cards is going to FBI. Being somewhat paranoid, he wants to know how long do they keep the prints on file (in the IAFIS/Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System) or if they are destroyed after the background check?

I am quite sure they are kept on file indefinitely.  
no cite, but that has been my experience.

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iafis-database-question/484324/3 "2009-02-04T05:48:48Z")

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Almost certainly off-topic, but when I was a young lad my bay scout group was taken to the local sheriff’s office and we were all fingerprinted “for fun.”

I suspect that the yearly repetition of this practice for generation after generation was a pretty good tool in the local policing handbag.

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**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iafis-database-question/484324/4 "2009-02-04T16:18:51Z")

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A [PD department page](http://www.berwynheightspd.com/fingerprinting.htm) says that they aren’t.

> [@](#):
>
> That being the case, when you are fingerprinted for a Background Check, the fingerprint card is destroyed after the  
> check is made. The law does not allow those fingerprints to be stored, and therefore if you apply for a new job,  
> you must be fingerprinted and the background check done all over again.

I’ve been printed for employment, and I always assumed they were… I’m not planning any murders any time soon, so I’m not particularly worried about it.