FORENSIC LABORATORY SERVICES

The mission of the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Forensic Laboratory is to serve its medical, legal, and law enforcement communities by conducting specialized forensic testing within an impartial system.

Our Criminalistics and Toxicology laboratories accomplish this mission by:

  • Providing investigative support to the Medical Examiner, law enforcement, and court system, including within-District and non-District entities within Texas or the United States;
  • Fostering an ethical working environment committed to the highest professional standards, impeccable scientific integrity, and dedicated teamwork;
  • Maintaining rigorous forensic licensing as well as exceeding local, state, and federal accreditation requirements;
  • Utilizing specialized, validated, and accepted scientific methods and technologies to perform reliable forensic examinations;
  • Striving to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of all evidence; and
  • Presenting our analyses to the Criminal Justice system in an unbiased manner.

We promote a culture of honesty, accuracy, and dependability, and advocate for professional continuous education to uphold these ideals.

 

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner Forensic Laboratory has two divisions:  Chemistry/Toxicology Laboratory, and Crime Laboratory (consisting of Evidence Department, DNA/Forensic Biology, Firearms/Toolmarks, and Latent Prints).  The laboratories analyze evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies for criminal cases, as well as by the TCME pathologists to assist in determining cause and manner of death.

To learn more about each section of the Forensic Laboratory follow the links below:

 

 

For law enforcement or other agencies wanting to submit evidence to TCME for analysis, a Chain of Custody form and Retest by Court Order form, as well as our current Fee Schedule, can be downloaded by clicking on the links below.  A Lab Services Handbook is also available to provide more in depth information regarding our services.    

 

Forensic Lab Services Quality Management Documents