Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Apr. 12, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Central Index Key	0000941685
Entity Registrant Name	Imageware Systems Inc
Amendment Flag	true
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2021
Document Type	10-K/A
Document Annual Report	true
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2021
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-15757
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	33-0224167
Entity Address, Address Line One	11440 West Bernardo Court, Suite 300
Entity Address, City or Town	San Diego
Entity Address, State or Province	CA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	92127
City Area Code	858
Local Phone Number	673-8600
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	IWSY
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	true
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
ICFR Auditor Attestation Flag	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Public Float				$ 12,307,779
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding			347,962,742
Amendment Description	Imageware Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (this “Amendment No. 1”) to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 15, 2022 (the “Original Form 10-K”), solely to correct an error in the content of Baker Tilly US, LLP’s Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.   In accordance with Rule 12b-15 under the Exchange Act, the Company is including in this Amendment No. 1 an amended Part IV, Item 15 to include currently dated certifications pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 from the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer.   Except as described above, this Amendment does not amend, modify or update the information in, or exhibits to, the Original 10-K. Furthermore, this Amendment does not change any previously reported financial results nor does it reflect events occurring after the filing of the Original 10-K. This Amendment should be read in conjunction with the Original 10-K and with the Company’s other filings made with the SEC subsequent to the filing of the Original 10-K.
Auditor Name	BAKER TILLY US, LLP	Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.
Auditor Location	Irvine, California	San Diego, California
Auditor Firm ID	23	199