DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS	Overview As used in this Quarterly Report, “we,” “us,” “our,” “ImageWare,” “ImageWare Systems,” “Company” or “our Company” refers to ImageWare Systems, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries. ImageWare Systems, Inc. is incorporated in the state of Delaware. The Company is a pioneer and leader in the emerging market for biometrically enabled software-based identity management solutions. Using those human characteristics that are unique to us all, the Company creates software that provides a highly reliable indication of a person’s identity. The Company’s “flagship” product is the patented IWS Biometric Engine®. The Company’s products are used to manage and issue secure credentials, including national IDs, passports, driver licenses and access control credentials. The Company’s products also provide law enforcement with integrated mug shot, fingerprint LiveScan and investigative capabilities. The Company also provides comprehensive authentication security software using biometrics to secure physical and logical access to facilities or computer networks or internet sites. Biometric technology is now an integral part of all markets the Company addresses, and all the products are integrated into the IWS Biometric Engine. Recent Developments Creation of Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock On September 10, 2018, the Company filed the Certificate of Designations, Preferences, and Rights of Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware – Division of Corporations, designating 1,000 shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, as Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series C Preferred”), each share with a stated value of $10,000 per share. Series C Financing From September 10, 2018 through September 21, 2018, the Company offered and sold an aggregate of 1,000 shares of Series C Preferred at a purchase price of $10,000 per share (the “Series C Financing”). The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company from the Series C Financing were approximately $10,000,000. Issuance costs incurred in conjunction with the Series C Financing were approximately $1,211,000, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $8,789,000. Amendment to Certificate of Designations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock On September 10, 2018, the Company filed an Amendment to the Certificate of Designations, Preferences, and Rights of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware – Division of Corporations, to increase the number of shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Series A Preferred”), authorized for issuance thereunder to 38,000 shares, in order to permit the Debt Exchange (as defined below). Debt Exchange On September 10, 2018, the Company entered into exchange agreements (the “Exchange Agreements”) with Neal Goldman and Charles Crocker, pursuant to which Messrs. Goldman and Crocker agreed to exchange approximately $6.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of outstanding debt (including accrued and unpaid interest) owed under the terms of their respective lines of credit for an aggregate of 6,896 shares of Series A Preferred (the “Debt Exchange”). As a result of the Debt Exchange, all indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations arising under the respective lines of credit were cancelled and deemed satisfied in full. Messrs. Goldman and Crocker are members of the Company’s Board of Directors and related parties. Declaration of Special Dividend Concurrently with the Series C Financing, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special dividend (the “Special Dividend”) for holders of the Series A Preferred (each a “Holder”), pursuant to which each Holder received a warrant (“Dividend Warrant”) to purchase 39.87 shares of Company Common Stock for every share of Series A Preferred held, which resulted in the issuance of Dividend Warrants to the Holders as a group to purchase an aggregate of 1,493,856 shares of Common Stock. Each Dividend Warrant has an exercise price of $0.01 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance; provided, however, that a Dividend Warrant may only be exercised concurrently with the conversion of shares of Series A Preferred held by a Holder into shares of Common Stock. In addition, each Dividend Warrant held by a Holder shall expire on the earliest to occur of (i) the conversion of all Series A Preferred held by such Holder into Common Stock, (ii) the redemption by the Company of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred held by such Holder, (iii) the Dividend Warrant no longer representing the right to purchase any shares of Common Stock, and (iv) the tenth anniversary of the date of issuance. Liquidity, Going Concern and Management’s Plan Historically, our principal sources of cash have included customer payments from the sale of our products, proceeds from the issuance of common and preferred stock and proceeds from the issuance of debt, including our Lines of Credit (defined below). Our principal uses of cash have included cash used in operations, product development, and payments relating to purchases of property and equipment. We expect that our principal uses of cash in the future will be for product development, including customization of identity management products for enterprise and consumer applications, further development of intellectual property, development of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) capabilities for existing products as well as general working capital and capital expenditure requirements. Management expects that, as our revenue grows, our sales and marketing and research and development expense will continue to grow, albeit at a slower rate and, as a result, we will need to generate significant net revenue to achieve and sustain income from operations. At December 31, 2018, we had positive working capital of approximately $3,078,000, as compared to a working capital deficit of approximately $415,000 at December 31, 2017. Our principal sources of liquidity at December 31, 2018 consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $5,694,000. Our principal sources of liquidity at December 31, 2017 consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $7,317,000. Considering our projected cash requirements, and assuming we are unable to generate incremental revenue, our available cash may be insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements for the next 12 months from the date of this filing. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. To address our working capital requirements, management may seek additional equity and/or debt financing through the issuance of additional debt and/or equity securities or may seek strategic or other transactions intended to increase shareholder value. There are currently no formal committed financing arrangements to support our projected cash shortfall, including commitments to purchase additional debt and/or equity securities, or other agreements, and no assurances can be given that we will be successful in raising additional debt and/or equity securities, or entering into any other transaction that addresses our ability to continue as a going concern. In view of the matters described in the preceding paragraph, recoverability of a major portion of the recorded asset amounts shown in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet is dependent upon continued operations of the Company, which, in turn, is dependent upon the Company’s ability to continue to raise capital and generate positive cash flows from operations. However, the Company operates in markets that are emerging and highly competitive. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain additional capital, operate at a profit or generate positive cash flows in the future. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classifications of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Overview

As used in this Quarterly Report, “we,” “us,” “our,” “ImageWare,” “ImageWare Systems,” “Company” or “our Company” refers to ImageWare Systems, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries. ImageWare Systems, Inc. is incorporated in the state of Delaware. The Company is a pioneer and leader in the emerging market for biometrically enabled software-based identity management solutions. Using those human characteristics that are unique to us all, the Company creates software that provides a highly reliable indication of a person’s identity. The Company’s “flagship” product is the patented IWS Biometric Engine®. The Company’s products are used to manage and issue secure credentials, including national IDs, passports, driver licenses and access control credentials. The Company’s products also provide law enforcement with integrated mug shot, fingerprint LiveScan and investigative capabilities. The Company also provides comprehensive authentication security software using biometrics to secure physical and logical access to facilities or computer networks or internet sites. Biometric technology is now an integral part of all markets the Company addresses, and all the products are integrated into the IWS Biometric Engine.

Recent Developments

Creation of Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock

On September 10, 2018, the Company filed the Certificate of Designations, Preferences, and Rights of Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware – Division of Corporations, designating 1,000 shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, as Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series C Preferred”), each share with a stated value of $10,000 per share.

Series C Financing

From September 10, 2018 through September 21, 2018, the Company offered and sold an aggregate of 1,000 shares of Series C Preferred at a purchase price of $10,000 per share (the “Series C Financing”). The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company from the Series C Financing were approximately $10,000,000. Issuance costs incurred in conjunction with the Series C Financing were approximately $1,211,000, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $8,789,000.

Amendment to Certificate of Designations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock

On September 10, 2018, the Company filed an Amendment to the Certificate of Designations, Preferences, and Rights of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware – Division of Corporations, to increase the number of shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Series A Preferred”), authorized for issuance thereunder to 38,000 shares, in order to permit the Debt Exchange (as defined below).

Debt Exchange

On September 10, 2018, the Company entered into exchange agreements (the “Exchange Agreements”) with Neal Goldman and Charles Crocker, pursuant to which Messrs. Goldman and Crocker agreed to exchange approximately $6.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of outstanding debt (including accrued and unpaid interest) owed under the terms of their respective lines of credit for an aggregate of 6,896 shares of Series A Preferred (the “Debt Exchange”). As a result of the Debt Exchange, all indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations arising under the respective lines of credit were cancelled and deemed satisfied in full. Messrs. Goldman and Crocker are members of the Company’s Board of Directors and related parties.

Declaration of Special Dividend

Concurrently with the Series C Financing, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special dividend (the “Special Dividend”) for holders of the Series A Preferred (each a “Holder”), pursuant to which each Holder received a warrant (“Dividend Warrant”) to purchase 39.87 shares of Company Common Stock for every share of Series A Preferred held, which resulted in the issuance of Dividend Warrants to the Holders as a group to purchase an aggregate of 1,493,856 shares of Common Stock. Each Dividend Warrant has an exercise price of $0.01 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance; provided, however, that a Dividend Warrant may only be exercised concurrently with the conversion of shares of Series A Preferred held by a Holder into shares of Common Stock. In addition, each Dividend Warrant held by a Holder shall expire on the earliest to occur of (i) the conversion of all Series A Preferred held by such Holder into Common Stock, (ii) the redemption by the Company of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred held by such Holder, (iii) the Dividend Warrant no longer representing the right to purchase any shares of Common Stock, and (iv) the tenth anniversary of the date of issuance.

Liquidity, Going Concern and Management’s Plan

Historically, our principal sources of cash have included customer payments from the sale of our products, proceeds from the issuance of common and preferred stock and proceeds from the issuance of debt, including our Lines of Credit (defined below). Our principal uses of cash have included cash used in operations, product development, and payments relating to purchases of property and equipment. We expect that our principal uses of cash in the future will be for product development, including customization of identity management products for enterprise and consumer applications, further development of intellectual property, development of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) capabilities for existing products as well as general working capital and capital expenditure requirements. Management expects that, as our revenue grows, our sales and marketing and research and development expense will continue to grow, albeit at a slower rate and, as a result, we will need to generate significant net revenue to achieve and sustain income from operations.

At December 31, 2018, we had positive working capital of approximately $3,078,000, as compared to a working capital deficit of approximately $415,000 at December 31, 2017. Our principal sources of liquidity at December 31, 2018 consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $5,694,000. Our principal sources of liquidity at December 31, 2017 consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $7,317,000.

Considering our projected cash requirements, and assuming we are unable to generate incremental revenue, our available cash may be insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements for the next 12 months from the date of this filing. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. To address our working capital requirements, management may seek additional equity and/or debt financing through the issuance of additional debt and/or equity securities or may seek strategic or other transactions intended to increase shareholder value. There are currently no formal committed financing arrangements to support our projected cash shortfall, including commitments to purchase additional debt and/or equity securities, or other agreements, and no assurances can be given that we will be successful in raising additional debt and/or equity securities, or entering into any other transaction that addresses our ability to continue as a going concern.

In view of the matters described in the preceding paragraph, recoverability of a major portion of the recorded asset amounts shown in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet is dependent upon continued operations of the Company, which, in turn, is dependent upon the Company’s ability to continue to raise capital and generate positive cash flows from operations. However, the Company operates in markets that are emerging and highly competitive. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain additional capital, operate at a profit or generate positive cash flows in the future.

The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classifications of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern