FBI Clears 1.8 Million DNA Sample Backlog
The Federal DNA Database Unit finished processing a yearslong backlog that had kept profiles out of the national matching system.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Criminal Justice
Live Poll
Do you feel your community is safe from unsolved violent crime?
The FBI cleared a yearslong backlog of approximately 1.8 million DNA samples in August 2026 and announced the milestone in an October 29 social media post. The backlog had prevented those profiles from being entered into the national system used to investigate violent crimes.
Why it matters
Cleared samples can now be compared against crime-scene evidence nationwide, which could generate new investigative leads. The backlog grew after a 2020 federal rule change expanded DNA collection requirements for certain federal agencies.
The FBI's Federal DNA Database Unit has completed processing of the backlog, and cleared profiles are now eligible for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Alabama, which participates in CODIS and held about 370,000 convicted offender and arrestee profiles as of January 2025, has not been tied to a specific solved case from the cleared samples.
The players
Federal DNA Database Unit
The FBI unit responsible for processing federal DNA samples and entering qualifying profiles into national databases, which led the effort to clear the backlog.
Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
The FBI-run national DNA database that allows law enforcement agencies to compare profiles from crime scenes against known offender and arrestee profiles.
The details
The FBI expanded staffing, increased laboratory operations, upgraded equipment, and streamlined sample processing to work through the backlog. Laboratory operations ran shifts from about 6 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Timeline
2020: Federal rule change expanded DNA collection requirements.
August 2024: About 1.81 million samples were awaiting processing.
January 2025: Alabama's DNA database held about 370,000 profiles.
August 2026: The FBI cleared the 1.8 million sample backlog.
October 29, 2026: The FBI announced the clearance on social media.
Legal Context
The backlog was a direct consequence of the 2020 federal rule change that broadened DNA collection requirements, and its clearance shows how expanded collection mandates depend on laboratory capacity to produce usable matches. Clearing the samples brings federal DNA processing closer to the pace needed for those mandates to translate into investigative results.
Cleared profiles can now be matched against crime-scene evidence across the country, which may help investigators reopen or advance cases that had stalled. Residents of Alabama and other states participating in CODIS may see new matches as the cleared samples are entered into the system.
The takeaway
Expanded DNA collection only helps public safety when the lab capacity to process samples keeps pace with the mandates behind it. Watch whether future matches from the cleared backlog are reported to the public.
Further reading
For broader context on how DNA evidence moves through the courts, explore our Criminal Justice coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wiregrass Daily News.
Live Poll
Do you feel your community is safe from unsolved violent crime?
