NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.

Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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.

PUBLICATIONS

Forensic Iris: A Review, 2022

Published

Author(s)

James Matey, George W. Quinn, Patrick Grother

Abstract

John Daugman correctly summarized the state of forensic iris recognition circa 2006 for the book Forensic Human Identification: an Introduction [1]: Iris recognition has limited forensic value, because (unlike fingerprints or DNA, for example) (1) iris patterns are not left behind at crime scenes; (2) and in death the pupil usually dilates significantly, the cornea clouds, and the iris tissue degrades relatively rapidly. (3)Moreover, currently available iris databases are quite small (only a few million digitized samples of iris patterns exist today); and because of the novelty of this biometric, (4) such data currently has no legal or established forensic status as admissible evidence. [Numbers() added.] In the intervening 15 years, all of Daugman's observations, save one, have been over taken by events: (1) The advent of ubiquitous high resolution video/photography has led to widespread collection/retention/dissemination of imagery of sufficient resolution for iris recognition. (2) Demonstrations of post-mortem iris recognition have been made. (3) Large iris databases have been constructed. The legal issue (4) remains to be resolved. Forensic iris was a topic at the June 2018 Iris Experts Group Meeting. Key issues discussed there were: measurements and analysis that needs to be done to provide the underpinnings for a resolution of the legal and forensic status of iris recognition and the development of documentation for such measurements and analysis that will enable explanation of iris collection and recognition to lay audiences, including those in a courtroom. To help resolve the questions discussed at that meeting, this paper reviews the current state of the art in iris recognition.
Citation
Technical Note (NIST TN) - 2226
Report Number
2226
NIST Pub Series
Technical Note (NIST TN)
Pub Type
NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2226
Local Download

Keywords

biometric recognition, forensics, iris recognition.
Forensic Science, Forensic biometrics and Biometrics

Citation

Matey, J. , Quinn, G. and Grother, P. (2022), Forensic Iris: A Review, 2022, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2226, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=931557 (Accessed October 9, 2025)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].

Created July 18, 2022, Updated September 29, 2025
Was this page helpful?