What is the term for the documentation that records who has physical control of an item of evidence?

• A. Evidence log
• B. Property receipt
• C. Chain of custody
• D. Incident report

Answer: (C)

Chain of custody is the documentation that records who has physical control of an item of evidence, when it was transferred, and under what conditions, from the moment it’s collected through handling, analysis, and final disposition. This record keeps a continuous, traceable path for the evidence, including dates, times, names or initials of each person or agency involved, and the item’s condition at each transfer. Maintaining an unbroken chain protects the integrity of the evidence and supports its admissibility in any investigation or court proceeding by showing there were no unaccounted transfers or tampering. An evidence log is more of a general list of items and their statuses; a property receipt is simply an intake document; an incident report documents events, not the custody history of evidence.