Welcome to the Biometric Center of Excellence (BCOE) Web page

The FBI's Science and Technology Branch created the BCOE to strengthen our ability to combat crime and terrorism with state-of-the-art biometrics technology. Biometrics are the measurable biological (anatomical and physiological) and behavioral characteristics used for recognition such as fingerprints, irises, voice patterns, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), palmprints, and facial patterns. The BCOE - headquartered in Clarksburg, West Virginia - is the FBI's focal point for biometrics* and identity management.**

Increasingly, law enforcement worldwide is using biometrics to prosecute the guilty and exonerate the innocent - and the FBI continues to advance biometrics and collaboration through the BCOE.

We invite you to explore this Web site and check back often for program updates.

*Biometric as a characteristic: A measurable biological (anatomical and physiological) and behavioral characteristics that can be used for automated recognition

Biometric as a process: Automated methods of recognizing an individual based on measurable biological (anatomical and physiological) and behavioral characteristics

**Idenity Management: Is the combination of technical systems, rules, and procedures that define the ownership, utilization, and safeguarding of personal identity information.

What's New:

• Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG)
• The Magna Database

Your comments are important to us. To provide feedback, please contact biometriccoe@leo.gov.