BY KAYLEIGH FREEMAN
FOR THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — Most people do not think about fingerprinting services – until the need arises. Whether it is for background checks or record expungement, fingerprints are often an essential part of moving paperwork forward.
“Fingerprints are used for identification purposes. Everyone has a unique identifier, with no two people having the same fingerprint even if you’re identical twins,” said Allison Duke, community relations administrator at the Opelika Police Department.
Most individuals who utilize the OPD’s fingerprinting services do so for employment-related purposes, with common occupations including law enforcement positions, teachers, doctors and nurses, Duke said. In other cases, fingerprints can be used for expungement, licensing, adoptions or travel.
To be fingerprinted at the OPD, individuals need to provide their ID and a fingerprint card, complete with the exception of the signature, which is to be done at the end of service.
For city of Opelika residents, the service is free. For non-residents, there is a $10 fee due at the time of service. The OPD offers fingerprinting Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
The OPD, which began fingerprinting criminals in 1959, maintains a traditional method of using ink to capture each ridge of an individual’s fingerprints.
“When the evidence technician is ready, they will bring you to the room and will verify that you completed the fingerprint card correctly,” said Duke. “The technician will explain how each finger will be rolled out onto the card. Once the fingerprinting is complete, the card is returned to the individual.”
Unlike the OPD, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office offers a digital, ink-free fingerprinting process for a $5 cash-only fee, available every Monday through Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m.
“As security requirements have evolved over time, we have adjusted our response and services to ensure we assist individuals and agencies to meet their needs,” said Sheriff Jay Jones. “We have provided fingerprint services since the 1990s to help with conducting background investigations and security protocols.”
Like the OPD, the LCSO requires individuals to provide their ID and a fingerprint card. If the fingerprints are for employment-related purposes, the employer often provides the card. Otherwise, the card can be found at office supply stores or downloaded from the FBI’s website, said Jessica Henderson, media and community relations specialist at the LCSO.
“[The FBI website] has one you can print on cardstock,” said Henderson. “It’s really important if you print it off, that you print it off on cardstock, not just normal printer paper.”
Instead of rolling their fingertips on an inkpad, individuals place them on a glass scanning surface which captures each print as a high-quality image. Once scanned, the machine prints the image directly onto the fingerprint card.
“Right after COVID, we were really bombarded with the service because they hadn’t had it in a while,” said Capt. Tammy Booth Hollis. “We probably had anywhere from 15 to 20 [people] a day.”
The number of people using the service ebbs and flows, Booth Hollis said.
Whether an individual gets fingerprinted at the OPD or the LSCO, their prints are not being stored in a database.
“At no point do we have the prints stored here,” said Duke. “Now, if [the individual] does it for certain background checks and sends them off, and they get added into the database, then it can be used for the criminal investigation side, but we aren’t taking those prints here and doing that.”
Similarly, the LCSO has nothing to do with results and is only responsible for scanning an individual’s fingerprints, Booth Hollis said.
Although often overlooked, fingerprinting is a vital service that helps connect residents in the Auburn-Opelika area to new opportunities, through everything from employment to travel.
For more information on fingerprinting at the OPD, visit www.opelika-al.gov/810/administrative-division.
For more information on fingerprinting at the LCSO, visit www.leecosheriffal.gov/fingerprints.
