Chain of Custody (CoC)
Definition
The documented sequence of individuals who had possession of, access to, or control over a physical exhibit from the moment of its collection to its production in court, with dates, times, purposes, and condition notes at each transfer.
- Starts at
- Point of collection
- Ends at
- Production in court
- Required fields
- Date, time, purpose, condition at each transfer
- Applies to
- Any physical exhibit
Common questions
What happens if a gap appears in the chain?+
A gap does not automatically make evidence inadmissible, but it opens the exhibit to challenge on grounds of possible tampering, substitution, or contamination, and courts weigh such gaps against the reliability of the forensic conclusions drawn from it.
Who is responsible for maintaining it?+
Every individual who takes possession of the exhibit, from the collecting officer through storage custodians, couriers, and laboratory analysts, is responsible for logging their handling before passing it on.
Related terms
- ASTM E1492
- Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing, and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science Laboratory: establishes container requirements for fire debris (metal can...
- BSA 2023 (Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023)
- India's evidence law that replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872, governing the admissibility of documents and expert opinions in Indian courts; together...
- Court Sample
- In India under the NDPS (Seizure, Storage, Sampling and Disposal) Rules 2014, a duplicate sealed sample drawn at the time of seizure...
- DEA Form DEA-7
- The US Drug Enforcement Administration's Report of Drug Property Collected, Purchased or Seized: the primary chain-of-custody document that records every custodian, transfer...
- FSR Codes of Practice and Conduct
- Mandatory requirements issued by the UK Forensic Science Regulator under the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021, governing exhibit management, method validation, contamination...
- Mahazar (Panchnama)
- In Indian criminal procedure, a document drawn at the time of search and seizure in the presence of independent witnesses (Panchas), recording...
- Permeability (Packaging)
- The rate at which molecules of a gas or vapour pass through a solid membrane. Polyethylene has significant permeability to volatile organic...
- Tamper-Evident Sealing
- Packaging closure that makes any opening of the package visible: heat-sealed bags, security adhesive tape with a void pattern that transfers on...
- TWGFEX / SWGMAT
- Technical Working Group for Fire and Explosion Investigation (now the OSAC Ignitable Liquids, Explosives, and Gunshot Residue Subcommittee): the US body that...