Funny story for you.

Maybe this was just a GenX thing, and isn't really done anymore, but in elementary school we were all fingerprinted.

They told our parents it was in case we were ever kidnapped it would help them find us.

You might be surprised about how many people's fingerprints the gov't has.

That's fair since it's technically not the federal government, but when I moved from Missouri to Colorado in 2019, I had to provide fingerprints in order to get my Colorado driver's license. And as a layman, I would generally assume that means anyone working for government in any part of this country could generally access that info one way or another.

> And as a layman, I would generally assume that means anyone working for government in any part of this country could generally access that info one way or another.

I doubt it.

Let me put it this way: I wouldn't choose to leave my fingerprints at a crime scene assuming legal firewalls would prevent me from getting caught that way.

Technically, legally, right now, maybe the Colorado DMV's database isn't accessible to other parties. How strongly are you willing to bet that it's going to stay that way for the rest of your life?

I have never heard of a state drivers license requiring fingerprinting.

I've lived in 5 states in the last 20 years, but none of them were Colorado.

A quick web search suggests that CO requires prints for licensing as an auto or motorsports dealer, but I can't find a requirement for getting a standard DL. I didn't look too hard, and I'm not claiming any authority here, but I remain surprised by the requirement.

From the Colorado DMV's website: https://dmv.colorado.gov/documents

"The information here covers identification and lawful presence requirements for Coloradans seeking a driver license, ID card or instruction permit... Per C.R.S. 42-2-107 and 42-2-302, applications for credentials must contain a fingerprint."

CRS 42-2-107 concerns applications for driver's licenses and learner's permits, and CRS 42-2-302 concerns issuance of driver's licenses and non-driving identification cards.

My friends who were already in the state prior to 2017 never needed to get their prints taken to keep renewing their licenses. But since I moved here in 2019, I needed to provide mine, as do any teenagers getting their permits or licenses for the first time here.

That's shocking. And really too bad, because I could have imagined myself living in Colorado. From a distance, I appreciate what I know about their government.

But compulsory fingerprinting is too authoritarian for my tastes. I can still visit, right? :)

Depends on the type of database used. They have prints for a lot more people than you think.