AFIS stands for Automated Fingerprint Identification System, which is a biometric solution consisting of a computer database of fingerprint records. It is used to search and compare fingerprints to identify known or unknown individuals. The system contains templates, which are mathematical representations of stored fingerprint images, and these templates are compared to search for a match. The AFIS systems are primarily used by law enforcement agencies for criminal identification purposes, such as identifying a person suspected of committing a crime or linking a suspect to other unsolved crimes. However, AFISs have also been used in large-scale civil identifications, such as preventing multiple enrollments in an electoral, welfare, driver licensing, or similar system. Another benefit of a civil AFIS is to check the background of job applicants for sensitive posts and educational personnel who have close contact with children.

AFIS has capabilities such as latent searching, electronic image storage, and electronic exchange of fingerprints and responses. The United States Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) holds the fingerprint sets collected in the United States and is managed by the FBI. However, the IAFIS is being retired to make room for a more improved software called the Next Generation Identification (NGI) system. Many states also have their own AFISs. The ability of AFIS to search hundreds of millions of records in seconds greatly reduces time spent by the police when searching for identities of suspects, criminals, victims, or unknown people.