We describe a correlation-based distance-classifier scheme for the recognition and the classification of multiple classes. The underlying theory uses shift-invariant filters to compute distances between the input image and ideal references under an optimum transformation. The original distance-classifier correlation filter was developed for a two-class problem. We introduce a distance-classifier correlation filter that simultaneously considers multiple classes, and we show that the earlier two-class formulation is a special case of the classifier presented. Initial results are presented to demonstrate the discrimination- and distortion-tolerance capabilities of the proposed filter.