We present a technique for performing three-dimensional (3D) pattern recognition by use of in-line digital holography. The complex amplitude distribution generated by a 3D object at an arbitrary plane located in the Fresnel diffraction region is recorded by phase-shifting interferometry. The digital hologram contains information about the 3D object's shape, location, and orientation. This information allows us to perform 3D pattern-recognition techniques with high discrimination and to measure 3D orientation changes. Experimental results are presented.