Florida now offering Electronic fingerprinting for CCW's!

[Gray Peterson]

Just to let you all know,

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Licensing (the issuing authority for Florida CWFL's) has apparently rolled out a new service to Florida residents and visitors (Unknown whether or not if this service is available to non-residents in other states. If not, they'll have to use the manual card system). This uses something called "AFIS" or "Livescan". Basically it's a fingerprint scanning system that's electronic.

If you're thinking that this just prints it on a fingerprint card, you're wrong. The new service actually allows the user of this system to actually have the sheriff's office send the fingerprints ELECTRONICALLY to the FDLE. Once you recieve a photocopy of the reciept along with the card itself, you can send this to the License Division, all while the FDLE and FBI checks their fingerprint records, and since it's all electronic, it shaves a lot of time, sometimes up to 50 days off of the normal wait of 90 (though the wait time nowadays is going typically at 45-60, so you can imagine if it's all electronic shaving even more weeks off the "typical wait".)

Not sure whether or not this is available for non-residents. I will be consulting with the License Division, along with my local agency using Livescan/AFIS (King County Sheriff's Office) to see if it can be used from out of state agencies.

FDACS CWFL Electronic Fingerprinting Services

 

[Night Guy]

We use AFIS/Livescan here in Indiana. If it's possible to forward copies of electronic fingerprint records to Florida then all the better. I've been printed twice electronically on this system and whole heartedly agree that it's much nicer and quicker than ink.

 

[Gray Peterson]

I think I know who to contact on that now, and it's not at FDACS, it's at the FDLE.

I need to get a hold of them, and ask if out of state LiveScan machines can be connected to the FDLE and authorized with the cooperation of the out of state agency. If so, then get that out of state agency to do that sort of thing. Right now the WSP and the King County Sheriffs have a LiveScan system here in Washington. I just hope that Livescan electronic transfers only require a switch flipped and maybe an address or phone number entered.

 

[Bainx]

Don't do it

 

[buy guns]

that livescan thing seems to be getting popular down here. a year ago when my aunt got her insurance license they digitally took her prints.

Don't do it

why not?

 

[RevDisk]

Don't do it

I can't imagine why not. If you're getting your fingerprints done either electronically or ink, they still have your fingerprints. They're both eventually entered into your state's database and the FBI's.


Privacy is an illusion, sorry.

 

[sendec]

I would far prefer the electronic handling of prints, like the AFIS system. I cannot cite any studies, but I am certain they are out there concerning the reliability of electronic collection, classification and comparison versus human. By the technical definition of reliability I'd bet the edge goes to the machines, though I have the greatest respect for good print classifiers. I'd bet there is a least one study out there that compares the error rate of human print examiners versus the automated systems.

Whetherr or not the prints are handled electronically or manually, as has been pointed out all the information winds up in the same place. If this speeds up the process and yields fewer false responses, rock on.

 

[gbran]

Kern CA

My county has the electronic print system. They used that on me and also made me do the ink prints also. The electronic system doesn't seem to speed up the permit process here.

 

[Gray Peterson]

My county has the electronic print system. They used that on me and also made me do the ink prints also. The electronic system doesn't seem to speed up the permit process here.

That's because CA has some wacky requirements that Florida doesn't. That and CA agencies tend to "sit" on permits for a while, whereas Florida does not do that.

Don't do it

And why not, may I ask? Florida requires a fingerprint submission for both initial applications and renewals. FBI will still have the fingerprints no matter which way you do it. So why give the Florida issuing authorities a chance to wait and wait and wait. Instead of Florida permits taking 45 to 60 days, it's possible that it would only take less than a month using the electronic scan method.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Florida requires a fingerprint submission for both initial applications and renewals.

Florida requires fingerprints only for renewals from out of state. They are not required for residents.

Don't do it

You have to provide fingerprints, whether they are electronically recorded or ink imprints on a card. The fingerprints on cards are scanned into a computer which is then compared to the database. As there is more room for error with using fingerprint cards, during the actual taking and the subsequent scanning, you are less likely to have problems using the electronic method.

 

[Gray Peterson]

As some of you know, I stated that Florida will accept electronic fingerprint scans from the sheriff's offices in the state of Florida. Since I discovered that, I've been in talks with the FDLE CWCS division, the people responsible for certifying the reciept of the electronic fingerprints. Apparently, they are willing to certify out of state agencies for no cost. They basically need to give out logins and test out systems on both ends to make sure they work correctly.

That being said, now the job lies on getting the out of state agencies to cooperate and to do so "because we ask". I'm currently in talks with the King County Sheriff's office to get the CWCS and the AFIS Section of KCSO to start talking with one another and to get the AFIS machine in KCSO certified by the state of Florida so that fingerprints can be LiveScanned and sent electronically.

I was also given some timetables in regards to how long it takes for fingerprint checks to be done. According to the AFIS IT Manager at the CWCS, it takes 6 weeks for Florida to recieve back the manual fingerprint scans from the FBI (they have to mail them in batches). If done by the electronic method, the FBI sends back the results of the check in 48 HOURS.

That being said, I'm asking for an applicant for a CWFL (first time if you're a Florida resident, each time you renew if you're a non-resident) to please go to a sheriff's office that's listed on there and file your prints electronically? That way we can have an idea of how long it will actually take? My understanding is that the name checks with the FDACS only takes a week at the most. It would at least give us an idea of whether or not it actually saves a huge amount of time....

 

[UltimaSE]

Tentatively from some searches it seems as though in pennsylvania at least philadelphia and other counties are listed as having livescan devices.

When I called philadelphia a few days ago they informed me that they no longer take fingerprints for civilian purposes so that's out. I went ahead and also send off an email to a contact in other counties asking the possibility of utilizing the livescan system.

UltimaSE

edit: I might have been mistaken, it looks like there are several of the fingerprint machines spread across pennsylvania, the aforementioned machines in philadelphia are for mug shots I believe. I've also called montgomery county as they are listed as having a livescan machine as well. Spoke to a nice young lady who said she will be getting some answers and getting back to me.

 

[UltimaSE]

Montgomery county is a no. It's almost sad, they tell me to call philadephia belmont barracks, they tell me they won't fingerprint for civilian purposes, so I call montgomery county back, they won't do it either.

UltimaSE

 

[UltimaSE]

Ok I'm sure everyone has loved hearing me run around like a chicken with its head cut off, but I was able to finally find a place that filled out my fingerprint card for me.

I've also exchanged email with another county sheriff's office that seems to be receptive to using their livescan for the purpose obtaining fingerprints to send to florida's. I called florida earlier today and asked about livescan, and the person I spoke to told me it was a no go for outside states, and that livescan was only doable at the time in florida.

Lonnie, is there someone specific that you spoke to over the phone that you could possibly pm me his or her information. If can I get some specific written directions from this source I might be able to confirm a county that can provide this service in Pennsylvania.

Thanks,
UltimaSE

 

[Gray Peterson]

I sent you that information over PM. Did you recieve it?

 

[UltimaSE]

Yes I did Lonnie, thank you. I'll see if I can get the ball rolling over here.

UltimaSE

 

[MarkDido]

Orange County Sheriff's Office still uses the old inked impressions. Our jail, run by Orange County, but not the S. O. uses the Livescans by Printrak, but they are only used for criminal prints.

We're still a little behind the times here in Central Florida