The Interstate Identification Index (III), known as "Triple I," is an "index-pointer" system for the interstate exchange of criminal history record information. Under III, the FBI maintains an index of persons arrested for felonies or serious misdemeanors under state or federal law. (A serious misdemeanor is generally one that results in a jail sentence of one year or more.)
The index includes identification data (name, birth date, race, sex, etc.), and FBI and state identification numbers (SIDs) from each state that has information about an individual.
Automated Procedure
Search queries from justice agencies nationwide are transmitted via state telecommunications networks and the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) lines. Searches are made by name and other identifiers.
The automated process takes about five seconds. If a hit is made against the index, record requests are made using SIDs or FBI numbers. Data are automatically retrieved from each repository with records on the individual. The records are then forwarded to the requesting agency.
III Requirements
To participate in III, states need an automated criminal record system compatible with the III system and capable of responding automatically to interstate and federal/state record requests. III held the criminal histories of more than 61.3 million individuals as of July 2007.
Forty-eight states participated in III as of that date. Ten also participated in the National Fingerprint File (NFF). NFF states have assumed responsibility for providing III-indexed records for criminal and noncriminal requests.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
