BFS Regional Laboratory Service Areas

Criminalistics Laboratories

The Bureau of Forensic Services (BFS) operates a network of full-service laboratories in 11 regional services areas in California. View the service areas by clicking on the regions of the map. The major forensic programs are:

Criminalistics

Physical evidence examinations and analyses of crime scenes, firearms, tool marks, and physiological and trace evidence.

Clandestine Labs

Technical support in the examination and analyses of illicit drug labs, including site assessment for chemical and physical hazards, latent prints, methods of synthesis, and the analysis of source chemicals and finished products.

Controlled Substances

Analytical support to law enforcement agencies to identify
and quantify drug seizures.

DNA Analysis

Focuses on forensic applications of DNA by analyzing biological evidence seized by law enforcement in criminal cases. DNA lab staff conduct research to advance DNA typing, provide DNA analysis training to forensic scientists in local crime labs, and coordinate the development of statewide standards in forensic DNA analysis. This laboratory has established CalDNA, a computerized DNA identification data bank to which evidence analysis results can be compared to identify unknown offenders in sexual assault cases and other crimes of violence.

Special Forensic Programs

Latent Prints

Assists in processing major crime scenes including clandestine drug labs; searches evidence for latent prints; provides agencies with reports explaining its examinations, comparisons, and disposition of latent print evidence; and offers expert testimony in court.

Questioned Documents

Analyzes, compares, examines, and identifies handwriting, mechanical impressions from typewriters and imprinters, and physical properties of paper and ink; develops evidence; and offers expert testimony in court.

Toxicology/ Blood Alcohol

The program serves California's criminal justice system by analyzing blood, breath, and urine samples taken from drivers involved in "driving under the influence" (DUI) investigations and providing testimony as required. The program also provides analysis of samples from non-driving cases by special request, and 11550 H&S analysis on a fee-for-services basis. New Portable Alcohol Testing System. See TOXICOLOGY using the link on this web page.

California Criminalistics Institute (CCI)

CCI is a state-of-the-art training and methods development facility serving California's law enforcement community and criminalistics laboratories in the areas of forensic science training, advanced casework referral, methodology development, quality assurance, information and reference services, and equipment evaluation. CCI is the number one Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) certified provider with offerings of more than forty POST certified forensic courses per year. Visiting forensic scientists come from around the world to study at CCI and collegiate student interns work on forensic projects. This helps in the incorporation of new and developing forensic technologies for California's criminalistics laboratories. See RESOURCES using the link on this web page.

Crime Scene Response

BFS criminalists provide local law enforcement agencies with on-site investigative support. Services include evidence collection and analysis and crime scene reconstruction.