US Postal Service fingerprint biometric service for federal vetting surpasses 100 locations

The United States Postal Service has expanded its biometric fingerprinting services partnership with the FBI to more than 100 locations across the country to help federal agencies onboard and vet employees joining their remote workforces, Federal News Network reports.

The partnership was launched in 2018, before which the FBI took 14 weeks to process fingerprints to complete the applicant’s Identity History Summary Check. The same system can also be used for visa applications, child adoption or approval for non-federal restricted occupations like working with children. More than 30,000 customers have used the service since it launched.

USPS is currently procuring a new biometric solution to implement for its fingerprint program during the fiscal 2022, Director of Identity and Access Management Heather Dyer said at the recent General Services Administration’s identity Impact Summit. Dyer also said USPS is seeking certification to Impact Level 2.

Prior to developing an in-house digital fingerprinting system, USPS had required the 120,000 employees it hires annually to get fingerprinted at police stations, but the lengthy turnaround time prompted the development of the agency’s own service. It has now processed more than 500,000 fingerprints, and with 31,000 post offices located within 10 miles of 99 percent of the U.S. population, has major growth potential.

The biometrics service could also provide a much-needed source of revenue for the cash-strapped agency, which has over $100 billion in unfunded liabilities.

Another potential source of revenue is deploying sensors to USPS vehicles to track air quality, broadband signals and road repairs and provide mapping data. The agency is also working on a confidence score for address claims, and an online identity verification process for its Informed Delivery service.

Article Topics

background checks  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  FBI  |  fingerprints  |  identity verification  |  U.S. Government