Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI)

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Kenneth Schwarz, Director

Phone:		908-231-7137
Fax:		908-707-4127
Mail:		20 Grove Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876
Email:		BCI@co.somerset.nj.us
Hours:		7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday On call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week

Mission / General Information

The primary mission of the Bureau of Criminal Identification is the positive identification of suspects, defendants and inmates. This mission also includes professional service to all police agencies within Somerset County, the State of New Jersey; all states nationwide and all Federal law enforcement agencies. All services will be performed promptly, properly and professionally without bias.

Major Functions or Programs

Criminal files: Over 110,000 criminal files are maintained.
Somerset County Probation: Uses BCI to update files of probationers.
Background checks for county agencies: BCI preforms background checks upon employment for the following Divisions: Somerset County Park Commission, Somerset County Board of Social Services, Somerset County Human Resources, Somerset County Superior Court, and C.A.S.A. for Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties.
Warrants: Provide information regarding outstanding criminal and traffic warrants and the national crime information center (NCIC) warrants to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, Somerset County Jail, and other law enforcement agencies.
Missing persons: Information is distributed to local police agencies.
Somerset County Jail: BCI supplies information regarding bail. All inmates prior to their release on bail, time served or transferred to other institutions are checked for warrants and fingerprinted by BCI.
Warrant Sweeps Sheriff’s Office: Assists in the pre-warrant sweep intelligence gathering. During warrant sweeps, BCI fingerprints, processes verifies and classifies all individuals arrested.
Drug Sweeps Prosecutor’s Office: Fingerprint, photograph, verify and classify all arrested individuals.
Child Fingerprint Program: Fingerprint students in various Somerset County School Districts. After gaining parental permission, children are fingerprinted and parents are given the prints to retain.
Training: Provides in-service training for Police Officers.
Photo Line-Ups: Identification Officers prepare photo line-ups for municipal police departments and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
Fingerprint Comparisons: Provide positive identification of suspects and arrestees for police agencies by classifying and verifying fingerprints.
Classification/Verification of Fingerprints: All individuals arrested and/or incarcerated are fingerprinted. The fingerprints are classified and the suspect’s identity is verified.
DNA Samples: The legislation enacted in September 2003 mandates that every person convicted or found guilty of a crime or by reason of insanity shall have DNA sample taken. This law applied to all individuals sentenced to terms of imprisonment and/or probation for crimes of the first through fourth degree.

Our multitude of skills have been an asset to the law enforcement communities of Somerset County and to the State of New Jersey.

For any further information regarding the Bureau of Criminal Identification or the services that we offer, please contact our main number at (908) 231-7137.

Fingerprint Appointments for SC Government Offices

Fingerprinting Appointments

Should you need to make an appointment to be fingerprinted with the Sheriff’s BCI, please contact us at 908-231-7137.

Somerset County Bureau of Criminal Identification is available to assist with fingerprinting for a myriad of occasions, based upon specific need. Please check with your local Police Department to ascertain that they cannot assist you before contacting us for an appointment. Often, your local Police Department will be able to assist you quickly and efficiently with your needs.

Employment with Somerset County Government Offices

Somerset County Sheriff’s BCI will accept appointments for fingerprinting and background checks for employment with the following offices:

The County of Somerset
Somerset County Superior Court
Somerset County Park Commission
Somerset County Board of Social Services
Contractors who will be working in Somerset County buildings

All applicant appointments must provide two forms of original (not a copy) of valid Government issued identification, one of which must have a photo. All applicants must come with the background check form completed and the signed release form. ALL appointments are time sensitive. You must be ON TIME for your appointment, or you may be refused and required to reschedule for a different date and/or time. If you are going to be late or need to reschedule, please call (908) 231-7137 prior to your scheduled appointment.

Available appointment times are as follows:

Appointment times are on the hour and there are NO 12:00pm appointments. On some holidays there will be no appointments available.

Monday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Tuesday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
- * Wednesday evenings, appointments are on the half hour (not for contractors): 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm and 7:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Friday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm

Non-SC Employee Appointments

Fingerprinting Appointments

Ink Prints (Non-Somerset County Employees)

BCI accepts appointments for ink prints on certain days of the week. ALL appointments are time sensitive. You must be ON TIME for your appointment, or you may be refused and required to reschedule for a different date and/or time. If you are going to be late or need to reschedule, please call (908) 231-7137 prior to your scheduled appointment.

You must provide a valid, unexpired government issued ID with a photo; expired ID’s will NOT be accepted.
The first five (5) cards are free to be processed by BCI, if you are a Somerset County resident.
Somerset County residents that need more than five (5) cards processed by BCI will be charged a fee after the fifth card.
You must show proof of residency within Somerset County on a government issued document. NON-government issued documents will NOT be accepted.
If you are not a Somerset County resident, a fee will apply with each card processed by BCI.
All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover) are accepted. There is a 2% processing fee applied per transaction.
Checks or money orders will be accepted. Make checks/money orders payable to “Somerset County Treasurer”.
We DO NOT accept Cash.
ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO RESIDES OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) WILL BE ACCEPTED.
NO APPLICATIONS FOR NJ FIREARMS OR OTHER IN-STATE EMPLOYMENT WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Available appointment times are as follows:

Appointment times are on the hour and there are NO 12:00pm appointments. On some holidays there will be no appointments available.

Tuesday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
NO APPOINTMENTS ON MONDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND FRIDAYS
NO EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE

Attorney ID Appointments

Fingerprinting Appointments

Attorney Identification Cards

The Somerset County Bureau of Criminal Identification is also available to provide Attorney IDs for qualified people. If you fit the criteria, please make an appointment.

You must provide a valid, unexpired government identification with a photo.
You must provide your bar association number.
All attorney ID cards are good for 3 years, for a fee of $30.00.
All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover) are accepted. There is a 2% processing fee applied per transaction.
Checks or money orders will be accepted, made payable to “Somerset County Treasurer”.
We DO NOT accept Cash.
ALL appointments are time sensitive; you must be ON TIME for your appointment, or you may be refused and required to reschedule at a different date and/or time. If you are going to be late or need to reschedule, please call (908) 231-7137 prior to your scheduled appointment.

Available appointment times are as follows:

Appointment times are on the hour and there are NO 12:00pm appointments. On some holidays there will be no appointments available.

Monday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Tuesday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
- * Wednesday evenings, appointments are on the half hour (not for contractors) – 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm and 7:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Friday: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm

For any further information regarding the Bureau of Criminal Identification or the services that we offer, please contact our main number at (908) 231-7137.

VIP Appointments