National Data Exchange (N-DEx)
The N-DEx system provides criminal justice agencies with an online tool for sharing, searching, linking, and analyzing information across jurisdictional boundaries. A national repository of criminal justice records submitted by agencies from around the nation, N-DEx enables users to “connect the dots” between data on people, places, and things that may seem unrelated in order to link investigations and investigators.
Overview
The N-DEx system is an unclassified national information sharing system that enables criminal justice agencies to search, link, analyze, and share local, state, tribal, and federal records. N-DEx is also a strategic investigative information sharing system that fills informational gaps and provides situational awareness.
- No fee
- Available 24/7
- Easy web-based access
- N-DEx contains incident, arrest, and booking reports; pretrial investigations; supervised released reports; calls for service; photos; and field contact/identification records.
Why the N-DEx System?
The N-DEx system complements other well-known FBI systems, such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Interstate Identification Index (III), and Next Generation Identification (NGI) that provide critical information to the criminal justice community. The information that would not be contained in those systems, i.e., incident and case reports, full Department of Justice (DOJ) case files, and corrections data, is available in N-DEx. And the N-DEx system has been endorsed by a number of major criminal justice associations, including the following: International Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs' Association, Association of State Correctional Administrators, National Institute of Corrections, American Probation and Parole Administrators, Corrections Technology Association, Major Cities Chiefs Association, and Major County Sheriffs' Association.
The N-DEx Policy and Operating Manual supersedes all pre-existing policy documentation and is the sole source for policy matters for the N-DEx system.
The N-DEx system, a national database of criminal justice records, benefits professionals throughout the criminal justice community, including:
- Analysts
- Corrections personnel
- Detectives
- Patrol officers
- Pre-trial, parole, and probation officers
- Regional dispatchers
Analysts: Connecting the Dots
With the N-DEx system, analysts have access to the criminal justice records of thousands of agencies across the nation to link investigative information and quickly obtain more detailed reports. Additionally, N-DEx provides visualization tools to graphically depict associations between people, places, things, and events either on a link-analysis chart or on a map. For ongoing investigations, the subscription and notification feature automatically notifies analysts if other users are searching for the same criteria or if a new record concerning their investigation is added to the system. N-DEx allows analysts to work with other analysts across the nation in a collaborative environment that instantly and securely shares pertinent information, including images, videos, charts, graphs, notes, and case reports, via any type or size of file.
Corrections Personnel: Improving Management and Supervision Efforts
The N-DEx system provides many benefits to institutional and community corrections agencies, such as improved case/inmate management, enhanced supervision efforts, supplementary visitor screening, and expedited apprehension of absconders, fugitives, and escapees.
Detectives: Linking Investigations
The N-DEx system provides detectives with immediate access to criminal justice records from thousands of agencies across the nation. Users can view incident reports, arrest reports, booking and incarceration reports, pre-trial investigations, and probation and parole records. The N-DEx collaboration tool, which allows users to invite authorized members from other agencies to view and share information in a safe and secure online environment, enables users to team up with other investigators to quickly and securely share pertinent information, including images, videos, charts, graphs, notes, case reports, etc. Visualization tools graphically depict associations between people, places, things, and events on link-analysis charts or maps. With the subscription and notification feature, detectives are notified if other users are searching for the same criteria or if a new record related to one of their investigations enters the system.
Patrol Officers: Preparing for Encounters
N-DEx immediately provides a snapshot of an encountered person--criminal records, associations, identifiers, and photographs. A search of N-DEx returns results that include any and all related information found within the nationwide system. The N-DEx Integrated Person Entity View gathers information from all of these records and presents it in an easy to read format, allowing the patrol officer to quickly view all related reports and narratives as a single document. A search of an address will alert the officer if past interactions with the criminal justice community have occurred.
Pre-trial, Probation, and Parole Officers: Enhancing Supervision Efforts
The N-DEx system gives pre-trial/probation/parole officers information on previously unknown relationships among their clients, allowing more effective client monitoring. It also allows officers to be quickly notified when a client has any form of contact with law enforcement, and to learn when law enforcement has an interest in their client. Through a subscription feature, N-DEx brings together officers whose cases somehow intersect. With N-DEx, officers realize the previously unavailable advantage of collaborating with thousands of participating agencies and their investigators, which serve as additional eyes and ears for the officer. N-DEx returns search results regarding all manner of a client’s interaction with criminal justice agencies, not simply arrest reports.
Regional Dispatchers: Increasing Officer Safety
By using the N-DEx system, dispatchers can learn what other agencies know about the individuals their officers are about to encounter. When a patrol officer is on the way to an address, dispatchers can quickly search N-DEx to learn what other activity has happened at and/or near that address. An N-DEx search returns results that include any and all related information found within the nationwide system. And the N-DEx Integrated Person Entity View gathers information from all of these records and presents it in an easy to read manner, allowing dispatchers to quickly view all related reports and narratives as a single document, saving time and providing the responding officer with a clear and concise background prior to arriving on scene.
N-DEx Overview
There are several methods available for authorized users to access the N-DEx system, including going through the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) or through a direct portal interface from their agency’s system. N-DEx partners with many organizations including Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), COPLINK, and the Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX) in order to provide flexible access options.
N-DEx is easily accessible via the FBI’s Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP). Anyone with an account on www.cjis.gov can request access to their state N-DEx “Sub-SIG” (Special Interest Group).
Agencies can access the N-DEx system using a method that works best for them.
For agency-specific methods of access, please contact the N-DEx Program Office.
If you are still unable to access N-DEx, please contact the N-DEx Help Desk at 1-888-334-4536, option 4. Help Desk staff are available 24/7.
Technical Information
Resources
Data Integration
Connections
Technical Forms
- Enterprise File Transfer Service Form
- Data Sharing Form
- N-DEx System Data Integration and Connectivity Checklist
Technical Tools
Data Validation Tools
IEPDS
- IEPD Version 4.0 allows criminal justice data submitters to build information exchanges and submit data to NIBRS and N-DEx with a common specification. Both systems will begin supporting data submissions with the new specifications in late 2020. The N-DEx Program Office will continue to support legacy IEPD standards. Contact ndex@leo.gov with questions.
- N-DEx IEPD Incident/Arrest Version 2.1.1 (zip)
- N-DEx IEPD Incarceration/Booking/Probation/Parole Version 2.1.1 (zip)
Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A–130, notice is hereby given that the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), proposes to establish a new system of records entitled ‘‘Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N–DEx),’’ DOJ/FBI–020.
For more information, read the Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records.