Overview
The Office of Forensic Services administratively manages New York State’s DNA Databank (Databank) in partnership with the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center. Rigorous verification procedures ensure only offender DNA samples that meet eligibility criteria under state law, regulation and/or FBI guidelines are maintained in the state’s Databank.
Any adult offender convicted of a New York State felony offense or Penal Law misdemeanor is required to provide a DNA sample for inclusion in the Databank. The Databank also includes samples from offenders who provided them under certain circumstances outlined in state regulation.
The Databank also contains forensic DNA profiles that are developed from the analysis of crime scene evidence. The Office of Forensic Services oversees a comprehensive confirmation process that reviews DNA matches linking offenders’ profiles in the Databank to forensic profiles. After match confirmation and offender verification, the office notifies the appropriate agency of the linked offender’s identity. That agency then determines the value of the match, also known as a hit or investigative lead.
The state’s DNA Databank is a part of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), managed by the FBI. Through CODIS, DNA information can be shared among local, state and national databases. Visit the FBI website for more information about the CODIS program.
The following public forensic DNA laboratories that operate in New York State participate in CODIS:
- Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory
- Monroe County Crime Laboratory
- Nassau County Office of the Medical Examiner Division of Forensic Services
- New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner Department of Forensic Biology
- New York State Police Crime Laboratory
- Onondaga County Center for Forensic Sciences
- Suffolk County Crime Laboratory
- Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research Division of Forensic Sciences
State regulations permit the release of partial DNA matches that meet certain criteria to law enforcement agencies for investigative purposes and allow law enforcement agencies to request a familial search of the DNA Databank in connection with unsolved, serious crimes.
Information in the Databank is protected by state law and by comprehensive internal procedures. The intentional disclosure of a DNA record to an unauthorized person or agency or the intentional use or receipt of DNA records for an unauthorized purpose is a felony.
Statistics
DNA Databank statistics for New York and other states are available on the FBI website; the information is updated monthly.