POLICE will be given 150 new mobile fingerprint scanners this year and may be given the power to test people in the street.

It is part of a potential legislative change that the State Government is considering.

The Advertiser can reveal the Government has budgeted more than $2.6 million for the new fingerprint scanners this financial year.

But amid privacy concerns, police and the Government have refused to say how the technology may be used.

The devices can scan and in 90 seconds match a person's fingerprints against the national database of more than 3.3 million records.

Similar devices have been used in New South Wales since 2009, while they have also been rolled out in the UK and United States since 2006.

Police Minister Jennifer Rankine has forecast changes to existing legislation that would enable the scanners to be used on the street.

Under current legislation, unless someone volunteers, police can obtain finger- prints only once the suspect is charged.

SA Police Inspector Kym Hand told The Advertiser police were preparing a submission on the matter.

"Portable fingerprint-scanners have the capability of rapidly confirming the identity of individuals who are recorded on the national fingerprint database while officers remain on patrol in the field," Insp Hand said.

"The tips of fingers are scanned, the device transmits the scans to the national fingerprint database and a result is returned within about 90 seconds.

"Police cannot provide a final timeframe (as to when the devices will be issued) as yet but will progress this as quickly as possible."

However, when questioned about whether police want the power to obtain the fingerprints of anyone on the street or only of those suspected of a crime, Insp Hand would not elaborate.

In a Budget Estimates Committee meeting last month, Ms Rankine said: "I am advised that regulatory issues are being worked through to ensure police are able to legally obtain and cross-check fingerprints on the street. In order to match the speed of the technology, legislative changes may be considered," she said.

"The Government is seeking further advice from SA Police about these potential legislative changes."

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for Ms Rankine told The Advertiser: "No specifics have been put forward to the minister yet and the legislation has not been drafted."

There are already 29 of the hi-tech mobile fingerprint-scanners in police stations across the state.

Law Society of South Australia president Ralph Bonig urged caution on any legislative changes. "Fingerprints and DNA are probably the two most personal methods of identification available," he said. "You should be entitled to protect that material.

"The law currently protects that by allowing fingerprints to be taken only under certain strict conditions.

"The Law Society does not see that any of those conditions should be watered down merely to accommodate the use of hand-held or mobile fingerprinting units."

- with Doug Robertson