Tamper-Evident Sticker
Definition
A self-adhesive label applied across the lid-rim or closure interface of an evidence container. Any disturbance of the container after sealing leaves a visible mark on the sticker, providing a physical record of potential tampering that is documented in the chain-of-custody log.
- Placement
- Across the lid-rim or closure interface of the container
- Function
- Leaves a visible mark if the container is disturbed
- Documentation
- Recorded in the chain-of-custody log
- Field
- Evidence handling and lab equipment
Common questions
How is a tamper-evident sticker different from a signature-only evidence seal?+
A signature or initialled seal relies on someone recognising or trusting a handwritten mark, while a tamper-evident sticker is engineered so the material itself fails, tears, or reveals a hidden pattern the moment it is lifted, giving physical proof of disturbance independent of anyone's judgement about the handwriting.
What should a custodian do if a tamper-evident sticker appears intact but slightly misaligned from its logged position?+
Misalignment alone is a flag worth documenting and investigating rather than ignoring, since it can indicate an attempted resealing with a substitute sticker; the custodian should note the discrepancy, compare it against the original placement description in the chain-of-custody record, and escalate before proceeding with analysis.
Can a tamper-evident sticker be reused or reapplied without detection?+
Properly designed tamper-evident stickers use a void-pattern adhesive that leaves a residue or exposes hidden text on the container surface when lifted, making a clean reapplication without any visible trace effectively impossible, which is the property that gives the seal its evidentiary value.
Related terms
- ASTM E2998
- Standard Guide for Sampling Improvised Explosive Devices and Post-Blast Debris for Explosive Residue Analysis. Specifies cotton swabs, isopropanol or methanol pre-wetting, swabbing...
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Friction Lid
- The press-on metal lid used to seal evidence cans for fire debris. Seated by pressing firmly around the rim; allows field packaging...
- Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS)
- A field-deployable analytical technique that separates ions by their mobility in an electric field at atmospheric pressure. Used for trace explosive detection...
- LC-MS/MS
- Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The preferred confirmatory method for non-volatile organic explosives (PETN, RDX, TNT, NG) because it avoids...
- Mahazar
- The formal seizure list used in Indian criminal procedure (BNSS 2023) to document the collection of physical evidence at a scene. Prepared...
- Passive Headspace Concentration (PHC)
- ASTM E1412 extraction method. The sealed evidence container is heated at 60-80°C; volatilised hydrocarbons adsorb onto an activated charcoal strip suspended in...
- Selected Ion Monitoring (SIM)
- A GC-MS operating mode in which the mass spectrometer monitors only a set of pre-selected diagnostic m/z values, rather than scanning the...
- Unlined Metal Can
- The standard evidence container for fire debris analysis. 'Unlined' refers to the absence of internal plastic or epoxy coating, which would contribute...