Chain of custody (cadena de custodia) in the hospital or rural post
- Procedure
Chain of custody is the record that proves a piece of evidence is the same one that was collected and that nobody changed or damaged it.
What it is
Chain of custody is the set of steps and records that guarantee the authenticity of physical evidence: that it is the same item that was collected, in the same state, and that it is known who held it at every moment. It starts where the item is found and ends on the order of the authority. In Colombia it is governed by Law 906 of 2004 (arts. 254 to 266), and art. 255 makes health staff who come into contact with such items responsible for collecting, preserving and handing them to the authorities. In practice, the doctor collects clothing, bullets, biological and toxicology samples; packages, seals and labels them, fills in the form and hands them to the judicial police.
What to document
- Description of each item: what it is, where it came from (anatomical site or place) and its condition.
- Date and time of collection, packaging and each handover.
- Full name, ID number and job of every person who held the item.
- Changes made to the item (for example, clothing cut during treatment) and why.
- In the clinical record: what was collected, to whom it was handed and when.
How it is done
- Treat the patient first; collect evidence without delaying treatment.
- Wear gloves, handle as little as possible, and do not wash, cut through holes or fold wet items.
- Package each item separately: wet clothing in paper, bullets in a rigid container without metal forceps.
- Seal the package and sign across the seal, so that any opening shows.
- Label: case, item, where it was found, date, time and name of the collector.
- Fill in the chain-of-custody form with name, ID number and job.
- Keep under lock (and biological samples cold) until handover.
- Hand over to the judicial police (the Fiscalía's CTI or the National Police), signed by both the giver and the receiver.
Next step: what to do and document
- Keep a secure place and chain-of-custody forms available in the service or rural post.
- If the judicial police cannot come soon, keep the evidence locked away, cold if biological, and record each step.
- Note in the clinical record the collection and handover; if you cut clothing to treat, say so.
- Never hand over evidence without the form or to unidentified people.
- Law 906 of 2004, arts. 254 to 266; the Fiscalía regulates the chain-of-custody system (art. 254, paragraph).
- Official text checked on 2026-11-05 at funcionpublica.gov.co.
Common mistakes
- Putting wet clothing in plastic bags: it rots and the biological material is lost.
- Picking up bullets with metal forceps: it damages the marks used for comparison.
- Putting several items in one bag.
- Leaving gaps in the record: hours without a custodian, missing signatures or ID numbers.
- Cutting clothing through bullet or weapon holes.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which article of Law 906 of 2004 makes health staff responsible for evidence?
Art. 255: those who, through their work, come into contact with physical evidence are responsible for collecting, preserving and handing it to the authorities.
How is wet, bloodstained clothing packaged?
In paper, each item separately and, if possible, after air-drying; plastic keeps moisture in and damages the biological material.
Which details of each custodian does the chain-of-custody form require?
Full name and surnames, ID (cédula) number and job (Law 906 of 2004, art. 264).
To whom does the doctor hand evidence in Colombia?
To the judicial police: the Fiscalía's Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) or the National Police, with the form signed by giver and receiver.
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Educational content on forensic and legal medicine; not legal advice and no substitute for the technical guides of Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. Laws change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, follow the guide in force and ask the competent authority.
Sources: Ley 906 de 2004, Código de Procedimiento Penal (Code of Criminal Procedure) (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 2004); Crime scene and physical evidence awareness for non-forensic personnel (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2009).
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