Chain of Custody
Chain of custody is a documentation process showing that DNA samples were collected from properly identified individuals by a neutral third party, were correctly labeled, and were transferred from the collection site to the laboratory without being tampered with. It also verifies the procedures performed on the samples throughout the testing process.
The chain of custody assures the tested parties—as well as any courts or government agencies that are involved in a case—of the following:
- A neutral party (e.g., a laboratory or hospital) collected the samples.
- The neutral party verified and photocopied all the tested parties’ IDs.
- The tested parties were photographed and thumbprinted at the time of collection.
- The samples were handled in an appropriate manner that was very strictly documented—from the point of collection throughout the testing process.
These assurances act as evidence that the DNA test results can be trusted to provide reliable information.
For DNA test results to be legally defensible, they must follow the chain of custody process. Many people undergo DNA testing for legal purposes (e.g., child support, child custody, or immigration), so they must be sure that their tests follow the chain of custody procedure. If they don’t, the test results won’t be accepted by courts or other government agencies.
Home DNA tests do not follow the chain of custody process. Visit the Legal Paternity Testing page for more information about DNA testing that does.
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