An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Note: the previous facial identification subcommittee is now the facial & iris identification subcommittee. please see the facial & iris identification subcommittee webpage for the latest information.
The Facial Identification Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to the image-based comparisons of human facial features.
ANSI/ASTM E2916-19e1 Standard Terminology for Digital and Multimedia Evidence Examination (drafted in collaboration with OSAC's Digital Evidence and VITAL Subcommittees, and added to the Registry on July 7, 2020).
ANSI/ASTM E3115-17 Standard Guide for Capturing Facial Images for Use with Facial Recognition Systems (added October 1, 2019).
ANSI/ASTM E3148-18 Standard Guide for Postmortem Facial Image Capture (added October 1, 2019).
ANSI/ASTM E3149-18 Standard Guide for Facial Image Comparison Feature List for Morphological Analysis (added February 14, 2019).
OSAC 2020-S-0002, Physical Stability of Facial Features of Adults (added June 1, 2021 and sent to ASTM for further development and publication).
NOTE: This is an annex to the published standard, ASTM E3149-18 Standard Guide for Facial Image Comparison Feature List for Morphological Analysis.
OSAC 2021-N-0025, Standard Guide for Printing Method Effects on Facial Comparisons(added May 2, 2023 and sent to to ASTM for further development and publication).
OSAC 2021-N-0035, Standard Guide for Scanning Facial Images for Manual Comparisons (added October 4, 2022 and sent to ASTM for further development and publication).
OSAC 2022-S-0007, Standard Guide for Facial Comparison Overview and Methodology Guidelines (added December 6, 2022 and sent to ASTM for further development and publication).
Published by a Standards Developing Organization (SDO) & Eligible for the OSAC Registry
ANSI/ASTM E3115-23 Standard Guide for Capturing Facial Images for Use with Facial Recognition Systems (reaffirmation of E3115-17 which is currently on the OSAC Registry).
At an SDO for Further Development & Publication
OSAC 2021-N-0025, Standard Guide for Printing Method Effects on Facial Comparisons (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
OSAC 2021-N-0035, Standard Guide for Scanning Facial Images for Manual Comparisons (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
OSAC 2020-S-0002, Physical Stability of Facial Features of Adults (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
OSAC 2022-S-0007, Standard Guide for Facial Comparison Overview and Methodology Guidelines (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
REVISION to ASTM E3148 Standard Guide for Postmortem Facial Image Capture.
Guidelines for Image Processing to Improve Automated Facial Recognition Search Performance.
Under Development
OSAC 2022-S-0008, Standard Guide for Minimum Facial Image Comparison Documentation.
OSAC 2023-N-0007, Guide for Facial Comparison Awareness Training of Assessors.
OSAC 2023-N-0008, Guide for Facial Comparison Training of Reviewers to Competency.
OSAC 2023-N-0009, Guide for Facial Comparison Training of Examiners to Competency.
Physical Stability of Facial Features of Juveniles (Note: This is an annex to the Facial Image Comparison Feature List for Morphological Analysis, not a stand-alone document).
Image Factors to Consider in Facial Comparison.
Standard Guide for Capturing Iris Images for Use with Iris Recognition Systems.
Standard Guide for Minimum Training Recommendations of Iris Image Examiners.
Introduction to Application Profiles for Facial Searching.
Guide for Role Based Training in Facial Comparison.
Guide for Mentorship of Facial Comparison Trainees in Role Based Facial Comparison.
Guide for Proficiency Testing in Role Based Facial Comparison.
Minimum Training Criteria for Usage of Facial Recognition Systems.
Managing Head Coverings, Accessories, and Make-up (HCAM) for Booking Photographs (Note: This will be an annex to ASTM E3117).
Discipline-Specific Bibliographies and Bibliographic References
These documents may contain information to help forensic scientists, judges, lawyers, researchers, and other readers better understand the nature, scope, and foundations of the individual disciplines as currently practiced. The identification of these documents does not represent an endorsement by OSAC or NIST. Only standards that are posted on the OSAC Registry and Technical Guidance documents, are endorsed by OSAC. The referenced documents may be subject to copyright. Note: Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee do not necessarily represent the position of OSAC or NIST.