When did CBP start requiring fingerprints from US citizens?

1. What the 2025 rule actually does: nationwide biometric collection for non‑citizens

DHS published a final rule titled “Collection of Biometric Data From Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure From the United States” that authorizes CBP to require photographs (facial images) and, in select circumstances, fingerprints and other biometrics from non‑U.S. citizens at all ports, with the rule effective December 26, 2025 ^{[1] [2]}. Coverage repeatedly emphasizes that facial recognition will be the primary verification tool at entry and exit, while fingerprints may be collected “in select cases” to link travelers to prior biometric records ^{[1] [4]}.

2. Longstanding practice vs. regulatory expansion: fingerprints already used for non‑citizens

Reporting and agency statements show CBP has for years captured fingerprints and photos from many foreign nationals on arrival and used facial comparison at some airports through programs like Simplified Arrival; the 2025 rule removes prior pilot limits and seeks to expand coverage to sea, land, private aircraft and pedestrian crossings ^{[1] [4]}. Sources characterize the November 2025 final rule as formalizing and nationalizing practices that were already in place piecemeal at ports of entry ^{[4] [5]}.

3. U.S. citizens: what the sources say — and what they do not say

Most coverage frames the final rule as applying to “aliens” or “non‑U.S. citizens”; CBP and DHS materials consistently state the rule targets non‑citizens and that U.S. citizens can opt for manual inspection instead of facial capture ^{[6] [7]}. A Nextgov piece reports a separate proposed DHS rule that would expand biometric requirements in other contexts to include some U.S. citizens and broaden what counts as “biometrics,” but that is presented as a proposal distinct from the 2025 entry/exit final rule and not a retroactive date when CBP began fingerprinting citizens ^[3]. Available sources do not identify a definitive historical start date for CBP requiring fingerprints from U.S. citizens at ports of entry (not found in current reporting).

4. Why the confusion exists: overlapping programs and evolving definitions

Journalists and legal analysts point to multiple programs—visa fingerprinting, USCIS biometric collection for immigration benefits, airport facial gates, and local pilots—that overlap and change over time, producing headlines that can blur who is covered and when ^{[8] [5]}. The 2025 final rule’s emphasis on facial recognition as the primary tool and on “aliens” helps explain why much reporting centers on non‑citizens; separate immigration or enforcement rules can alter citizen-facing requirements later, per proposed rulemaking cited by Nextgov ^{[1] [3]}.

5. Practical effects and privacy concerns raised in reporting

Industry and government statements say the expanded system aims to reduce fraud, improve identity verification and close exit‑tracking gaps, with retention rules permitting long term storage of non‑citizen biometrics in DHS systems (up to 75 years for some categories) ^{[4] [2]}. Privacy and civil‑liberties groups, and some press pieces, warn about demographic bias, false matches and long retention—concerns that reporters note could drive litigation or policy pushback even as CBP stresses technical safeguards ^{[4] [2]}.

6. Bottom line for the original question

If your question asks “when did CBP start requiring fingerprints from U.S. citizens?” the documents and reporting you provided do not establish such a requirement or a start date; instead, they document a 2025 final rule that mandates broader biometric collection for non‑U.S. citizens effective December 26, 2025, while separate proposed rulemaking contemplates broader biometric authority that could affect citizens in other contexts ^{[1] [2] [3]}. For a definitive start date for any CBP fingerprint requirement that specifically targets U.S. citizens, available sources do not mention one and further targeted documents would be needed (not found in current reporting).