FBI Tweaks Fingerprint Forms: Because Crime Doesn't Wait for Paperwork
Published Date: 11/21/2025
Notice
Summary
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services wants to update and get approval for several fingerprint and identity forms used in arrests, background checks, and firearm rights restoration. They’re asking for public feedback by December 22, 2025, to make sure the forms are clear, useful, and easy to fill out—especially online. This affects anyone involved in law enforcement, background checks, or firearm-related processes, aiming to keep things smooth and efficient without extra hassle.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Data Stored in FBI NGI System
The notice states that acceptable data collected on these forms will be stored as part of the FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) System, meaning fingerprints and identity information are retained in that federal system.
Mandatory FBI Fingerprint Forms Revised
The FBI CJIS is revising a set of mandatory fingerprint and identity forms (FD-249, FD-258, FD-1164, FD-884, FD-884a, FD-1212, FD-1211, FD-1222) under authority of Title 28 U.S.C. § 534. The agency estimates 459,238 respondents, about 10 minutes per respondent, for a total annual burden of 76,540 hours, and seeks OMB approval for up to three years.
Firearm Challenge and Restoration Fingerprints
The collection explicitly includes FD-1211 (Firearm-Related Challenge Fingerprint) and FD-1222 (Restoration of Federal Firearm Rights Fingerprint), so people involved in firearm-related challenges or applying to restore federal firearm rights must submit these fingerprint forms as part of the FBI's information collection.
Push to Allow Electronic Submission
The FBI requests comments to minimize respondent burden including permitting electronic submission of responses and use of automated or other technological collection techniques to make forms clearer and easier to fill out, especially online.
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