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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77294</law_id><section_number>19.2-187.01</section_number><catch_line>Certificate of analysis as evidence of chain of custody of material described therein</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-187</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="12">Preliminary Hearing</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>A report of analysis duly attested by the person performing such analysis or examination in any laboratory operated by (i) the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, the Department of Forensic Science or any of its regional laboratories, or by any laboratory authorized by such Division or Department to conduct such analysis or examination; (ii) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (iii) the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; (iv) the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; (v) the federal Drug Enforcement Administration; (vi) the United States Postal Service; (vii) the U.S. Secret Service; or (viii) the Forensic Document Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> in a criminal or civil proceeding as to the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the <span class="dictionary">material</span> described therein from the time such <span class="dictionary">material</span> is received by an authorized agent of such laboratory until such <span class="dictionary">material</span> is released subsequent to such analysis or examination. Any such certificate of analysis purporting to be signed by any such person shall be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> as <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> in such <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> or <span class="dictionary">trial</span> without any proof of the seal or signature or of the official character of the person whose name is signed to it. The signature of the person who received the <span class="dictionary">material</span> for the laboratory on the request for laboratory examination form or <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> submission receipt, either by hand or by electronic means, shall be deemed prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> that the person receiving the <span class="dictionary">material</span> was an authorized agent and that such receipt constitutes proper receipt by the laboratory for purposes of this section. For purposes of this section, any laboratory that has entered into a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with the Department of Forensic Science for the provision of forensic laboratory services shall be deemed authorized by the Department to conduct such analyses or examinations.</p></section></text><history>1979, c. 364; 1989, c. 458; 1990, cc. 548, 825; 1991, c. 687; 1993, c. 32; 1994, c. 375; 1995, c. 437; 2005, cc. 868, 881; 2011, c. 645; 2015, cc. 75, 126; 2019, cc. 478, 479; 2024, c. 210.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
