Does AFIS make fingerprint identifications?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Sometimes
• D. Not automatically

Answer: (A)

AFIS is a screening tool, not a final authority for a match. It digitizes fingerprints, extracts ridge details (minutiae), and runs comparisons against a large database to produce a ranked list of candidate matches with similarity scores. This process narrows the field quickly, but it does not by itself certify an identification. The actual identification is made by a trained examiner who performs a careful, side-by-side comparison of the latent print with the known print, considers print quality and potential distortions, and may require corroborating evidence. Because automated matches can include false positives or ambiguous results, the examiner’s judgment is essential before concluding that two prints come from the same source. So, AFIS contributes the candidate identifications and supports the workflow, but it does not make the identification automatically.