Abstract: A low-power, fully self-contained fingerprint capture, enrollment and verification method and device (100). The device includes a logic unit (110), a memory (120), a fingerprint sensor (130) and an interface (150) to an external unit (140). Included in the memory is a program (126) that includes a sensor data capture module (200), an image processing module (202), a minutia extraction module (204), a template creation module (206), a template compare module (208), and a database (210). The processes for capturing, enrolling and verifying a fingerprint are designed to be minimally computationally intensive. This allows implementation of these processes in a portable, battery-powered unit using hardware with limited memory and computing capability, or implementation in a PC with substantial performance advantages relative to known fingerprint capture, enrollment and verification processes and devices.