ATF Fingerprint Glossary

EFT (Electronic Fingerprint Transmission)

Definition: The digital fingerprint file format required by ATF for eForms submissions.

Key specifications:

• Based on ANSI/NIST-ITL standard
• Maximum file size: 12MB
• Compression: WSQ
• Resolution: 500 DPI minimum
• Contains: All 10 fingerprints
• File extension: .eft or .nst

Used for:

• ATF Form 1 (manufacturing NFA items)
• ATF Form 4 (transferring NFA items)
• ATF Form 5 (tax-exempt transfers)

Related: Convert to EFT format

NIST Fingerprint File

Definition: A fingerprint file following the ANSI/NIST-ITL biometric data exchange standard.

The standard:

ANSI/NIST-ITL (American National Standards Institute / National Institute of Standards and Technology - Information Technology Laboratory) defines how biometric data is structured, stored, and transmitted between systems.

What NIST files contain:

• Type-1 record: Transaction information
• Type-2 record: Descriptive text (name, DOB, etc.)
• Type-4 record: Rolled fingerprint images
• Type-14 record: Flat fingerprint images
• Other types: Photos, palm prints, iris (optional)

Standard versions:

• ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2000
• ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2007
• ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 (current)

EFTS (Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Specification)

Definition: The FBI's implementation of ANSI/NIST-ITL for fingerprint submissions.

Used by:

• FBI background checks (civilian and criminal)
• State agencies submitting to FBI
• FBI channelers (approved background check companies)
• NGI (Next Generation Identification) system

EFTS vs ATF EFT:

Base standard	Both use ANSI/NIST-ITL
Transaction codes	Different for each agency
Metadata fields	FBI-specific vs ATF-specific
Conversion needed?	Yes, to use EFTS for ATF

Related: EFTS vs EBTS comparison

EBTS (Electronic Biometric Transmission Specification)

Definition: The Department of Defense's biometric file format.

Used by:

• Military enlistment (MEPS)
• Security clearance processing
• DoD ABIS system
• Military deployments

EBTS characteristics:

• Often includes multiple biometrics (fingerprints + iris + facial)
• May use higher resolution (1000 DPI)
• Files typically larger than EFTS
• Can be converted to ATF EFT format

WSQ (Wavelet Scalar Quantization)

Definition: The FBI-certified compression algorithm for fingerprint images.

Why WSQ instead of JPEG:

• JPEG creates blocking artifacts that obscure ridge detail
• WSQ preserves minutiae (ridge endings, bifurcations)
• WSQ is specifically designed for fingerprint characteristics
• Required by FBI, ATF, and other agencies

Compression ratios:

15:1	High quality, larger files
20:1	Standard (commonly used)
25:1	Smaller files, still acceptable

File extension:

.wsq for individual fingerprint images. Full EFT files contain WSQ-compressed images inside NIST container format.

Type-4 Fingerprint Record

Definition: A NIST record containing rolled fingerprint images.

Capture method:

Finger is rolled from nail edge to nail edge across scanner or ink pad, capturing the full width of the fingerprint.

Characteristics:

• Full nail-to-nail coverage
• More detailed than flat prints
• Traditional method (booking, ink cards)
• Requires more technique to capture properly

ATF acceptance:

Yes. Type-4 rolled prints are accepted for all NFA applications.

Related: Type-4 vs Type-14 comparison

Type-14 Fingerprint Record

Definition: A NIST record containing flat (slap) fingerprint images.

Capture method:

Finger is pressed flat onto scanner surface without rolling. Captures the central portion of the fingerprint.

Characteristics:

• Faster and easier to capture
• Covers central fingerprint area (not edges)
• Standard output from modern LiveScan
• Less technique required

ATF acceptance:

Yes. Type-14 flat prints are accepted for all NFA applications.

FD-258 (Fingerprint Card)

Definition: The standard US federal fingerprint card format.

Card layout:

• Top section: Personal information fields
• Middle section: 10 individual boxes for rolled prints
• Bottom section: Spaces for flat (slap) impressions

Uses:

• FBI background checks
• ATF NFA applications (can be scanned and converted)
• Immigration applications
• State licensing

Where to get:

Amazon, eBay, gun stores, some office supply stores. Cost: $1-5 per card.

Related: Convert scanned FD-258 to EFT

LiveScan

Definition: Digital fingerprint capture technology that scans fingerprints directly into electronic format.

How it works:

• Glass platen with optical or capacitive sensor
• Fingers pressed flat on scanner surface
• Image captured and digitized instantly
• Usually produces Type-14 (flat) records

Providers:

• UPS Store
• IdentoGO
• Police departments
• Dedicated fingerprinting services

Output formats:

LiveScan can output EFT files, NIST files, and/or printed FD-258 cards depending on configuration.

NGI (Next Generation Identification)

Definition: The FBI's current biometric identification system.

Replaced:

IAFIS (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System)

Capabilities:

• Fingerprint matching and storage
• Facial recognition
• Iris recognition
• Tattoo recognition
• Rap Back (ongoing criminal monitoring)

Relevance to NFA:

Background checks for NFA applications query NGI via NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System).

ABIS (Automated Biometric Identification System)

Definition: The Department of Defense's biometric database and matching system.

Contains:

• Military personnel biometrics
• Security clearance enrollments
• Foreign nationals encountered by DoD

Relevance to NFA:

Military fingerprints are stored in ABIS using EBTS format. These can theoretically be converted for ATF use, but obtaining files from ABIS is difficult.