Chain of custody documents the continuous handling of evidence from collection through presentation, recording each transfer, storage condition, and testing performed.
Gaps do not automatically require exclusion. Courts generally admit the evidence and treat handling deficiencies as affecting weight, unless the gap suggests actual alteration.
Alternative Names:
Custody Chain, Evidence Custody
Why it Matters?
Chain of custody matters most where the item's condition is the disputed issue: a failed component in a product case, a vehicle in a trucking case, or a biological sample. The best practice is documenting custody from the moment of preservation, because reconstructing it later invites both admissibility challenges and spoliation arguments about what happened during the undocumented period.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Does a gap in the chain of custody require exclusion?
When does chain of custody matter most?
