This is a reproduction of an important document produced by the FBI Laboratory Division, the Handbook of Forensic Services - the latest 2007 edition (which supercedes the earlier 2003 version). Contents include: submitting evidence, evidence examinations, and crime scene safety. The purpose of the Handbook of Forensic Services is to provide guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting, preserving, packaging, and shipping evidence and to describe the forensic examinations performed by the FBI s Laboratory Division and Investigative Technology Division. FBI Forensic Services The successful investigation and prosecution of crimes require, in most cases, the collection, preservation, and forensic analysis of evidence. Forensic analysis of evidence is often crucial to determinations of guilt or innocence. The FBI has one of the largest and most comprehensive forensic laboratories in the world. The forensic services of the FBI Laboratory Division and the Investigative Technology Division are available to the following: FBI field offices and Legal Attachés; U.S. attorneys, military tribunals, and other federal agencies for civil and criminal matters; State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States and territorial possessions for criminal matters. All forensic services, including expert witness testimonies, are rendered free of cost; however, the following limitations apply: No examination will be conducted on evidence that has been previously subjected to the same type of examination. Exceptions may be granted when there are reasons for a reexamination. These reasons should be explained in separate letters from the director of the laboratory that conducted the original examination, the prosecuting attorney, and the investigating agency. No request for an examination will be accepted from laboratories having the capability of conducting the examination. Exceptions may be granted upon approval of the FBI Laboratory A