What is CODIS?

• A. A private company database for storing facial recognition data.
• B. A database of voiceprints used by law enforcement.
• C. A program developed by the FBI that maintains databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime-scene evidence, and profiles of missing people.
• D. A chemical test for DNA extraction.

Answer: (C)

CODIS is the FBI program that manages DNA profiling databases across local, state, and national levels. It stores DNA profiles—data derived from the core genetic markers used in short tandem repeat analysis—from three main sources: convicted offenders, forensic evidence from unsolved crimes, and missing persons. By housing these profiles in an integrated system, CODIS allows investigators to compare a new DNA sample from a crime scene with existing profiles to find potential matches or link related cases. This framework supports generating investigative leads and connecting cases that might involve the same individual, even across different jurisdictions. It’s not about facial recognition or voiceprint data, and it isn’t a chemical test for DNA extraction.