Abstract: A system including a mobile or portable fingerprint scanner and one or more docking stations adapted to operatively receive the scanner. The scanner can be hand carried to various locations for obtaining fingerprint images and other information such as images from bar code scanning. The scanner is battery operated and has the capacity of storing a number of such images. The docking station is in the form of a receptacle into which the scanner is inserted after obtaining one or more images. While the scanner is operatively received in the docking station, the image(s) stored in the scanner are downloaded via a connection to a personal computer or the like, the scanner battery is recharged and the docking station performs various diagnostic operations on the scanner before it is withdrawn from the docking station for further use.