Certification

The American Board of Criminalistics certification program consists of the following steps:

• Apply for certification
• Successfully complete an appropriate certification examination
• Confer certification by vote of the Board of Directors
• Demonstrate continued competency by submitting recertification paperwork for review and attaining the required points
• Pay Annual Maintenance Fees and submit signed Rules of Professional Conduct
• Confer recertification by vote of Board of Directors

The American Board of Criminalistics currently offers examinations in the following areas of certification:

• Comprehensive Criminalistics (ABC-CC) 
• Drug Analysis (ABC-DA)
• Molecular Biology (ABC-MB) 
• Fire Debris Analysis (ABC-FD) 
• Hair and Fiber (ABC-HF) 
• Paint and Polymer (ABC-PP) 

The ABC has finished conducting field testing of examinations for the following certifications:
 
Forensic DNA (ABC-DNA)
Biological Evidence Screening (ABC-BIO)
 
For more information on the field testing process, please visit the Field Testing page.


To determine if you are eligible for certification, please see our Certification Eligibility Requirements:

Certification Eligibility Requirements

The American Board of Criminalistics previously offered the following certifications:
Biochemistry (ABC-BC)
Drug Analysis, Technical Specialist (ABC-DAT)
General Knowledge Examination (ABC-GKE)
Molecular Biology, Technical Specialist (ABC-MBT)

Certificants who attained certification in these areas retain their certified status as long as they stay in good standing with the ABC.  If a certificant allows their certification to lapse, they must reapply for certification using one of the current certification schemes.  

For more information on historical ABC examinations, please visit the History page.