To investigate the feasibility of application of digital images of the palatal rugae in forensic identification. One hundred patients, consisting of 50 males and 50 females, who received treatment between January 2015 and June 2015 at Shanxi Medical University Stomatological Hospital, China, were included in this study. High-resolution digital image of the palatal rugae was taken from each patient using a digital SLR camera and then processed using a digital image recognition system, including noise reduction, contrast enhancement, image segmentation, feature extraction, edge detection and information matching. Using an MATLAB software system, match results and the time taken by each operator for information matching were recorded. The digital image recognition system assisted in information matching of the palatal rugae. Three oral physicians had a 100% correction rate in information matching. Two other operators failed in formation matching in one or two cases. The time taken by oral physicians for information matching was shorter than that taken by the other two operators. Unique palatal rugae morphology has gradually become a novel marker for forensic identification. Digital images of the palatal rugae morphology contribute to rapider and more accurate forensic identification.