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Office of the District Attorney
Office of the District Attorney

Crime Laboratory

The County of Santa Clara District Attorney’s Crime Laboratory is an internationally accredited forensic laboratory serving all criminal justice agencies in the County of Santa Clara.

Our examiners evaluate and analyze evidence, interpret results, provide expert testimony related to the full spectrum of physical evidence recovered from crime scenes, and offer technical assistance and training to all user agencies. Accredited services are provided in the major analytical forensic disciplines of:

  • Controlled substance analysis;
  • Firearms;
  • Forensic biology (DNA);
  • Forensic toxicology (including breath alcohol calibration); latent print processing;
  • Trace evidence;
  • Digital and multi-media evidence (computer forensics, audio and video analysis);
  • Bloodstain pattern analysis;
  • Footwear/tire impression evidence;
  • Fire debris analysis

Crime scene analysis and reconstruction is also performed (currently this is an unaccredited function). The laboratory employs over 60 criminalists, plus support staff, and analyzes thousands of evidence items each year.

The Crime Laboratory is accredited to international standard ISO/IEC 17025 in both Forensic Testing and Calibration by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB).

Monthly Crime Laboratory "virtual tours"

Request a virtual walk-through of the county Crime Laboratory