PURPOSE: To prevent an illegal operation of a time recorder, for instance, by reading a finger feature, comparing and collating it with finger feature stored in an external memory device and transmitting an output signal such as for printing, punching of time card, and a door lock when both features coincide.

CONSTITUTION: When a time card 25 is inserted into the time recorder 7, and a code number is inputted from a code input part 8 of a time card device 10, a microcomputer 1 retrieves pattern information from the external memory device 9 and stores it in a comparison and recognition part 11. A finger feature reader 3 outputs the pattern information, for example, feature of the four fingers excluding thumb of the hand placed on a main body 3a. The comparison and recognition part 11 compares the pattern information from the external memory device 9 with the pattern information from the finger feature reader 3. When they coincide, the time recorder 7 is operated and the time is punched on the time card 25.