U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73

Title 28 CFR Part 16 – Production or Disclosure of material or information

Subpart-C Production of FBI Identification Records in Response to Written Requests by Subjects Thereof

By order dated September 24, 1973, the Attorney General of the United States directed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, hereinafter referred to as the FBI, publish rules for the dissemination of arrest and conviction records to the subjects of such records upon request. This order resulted from a determination that 28 U.S.C. 534 does not prohibit the subjects of arrest and convictions records from having access to those records. In accordance with the Attorney General’s order, the FBI will release to the subjects of identification records copies of such records upon submission of a written request, satisfactory proof of identity of the person whose identification record is requested and a processing fee.

Since the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division is not the source of the data appearing on the Identification Records, and obtains all data thereon from fingerprint cards or related identification forms submitted to the FBI by local, state and federal agencies, the responsibility for authentication and correction of such data rests upon the contributing agencies. Therefore, the rules set forth for changing, correcting or updating such data require that the subject of an Identification Record make application to the original contributing agency in order to correct a deficiency.

The Relevant provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) requiring notice of proposed rule making, opportunity for public participation and delay in effective date are inapplicable because the material contained herein relates to the interpretation of 28 U.S.C. 534 as allowing the granting of an exemption to subjects of Identification Records and relief of prior administrative restrictions on dissemination of such records to them. Furthermore, it is deemed in the public interest that there be no delay in effective date of availability of Identification Records to the subjects thereof.

By Virtue of the order of the Attorney General, dated September 24, 1973, and pursuant to the authority delegated to the Director, FBI, by 28 CFR 0.85(b), 28 CFR Part 16 is amended as follows:

16.30-16.34