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The State Patrol's Forensic Laboratory Services provide a wide range of forensic science expertise to city, county, and state law enforcement officers, assisting agencies at crime scenes, preparing evidence for trial, and providing expert testimony.

The bureau also oversees and coordinates the efforts of the State's Breath Alcohol Test Program, Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program, six Crime Laboratories, the Latent Print Laboratory, and the State Toxicology Laboratory.

The Forensic Laboratory Services bureau was formed in 1999 when the Washington State Toxicology Laboratories merged with the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratories.

Accreditation & Criteria

The Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau continually strives to provide the highest level of forensic services possible. One method for doing so is by pursuing, achieving and maintaining accreditation from external auditing bodies.

Accrediting Organizations:

• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratories Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) - ASCLD/LAB accredits crime laboratories, forensic toxicology laboratories and breath test programs. The Crime Laboratory Division has maintained ASCLD/LAB Legacy accreditation since 1983. The Breath Test Program and Toxicology Laboratory are seeking to become ASCLD/LAB ISO International accredited by January 2009.
  
  
• American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT) – ABFT certifies forensic toxicology laboratories. The Toxicology Laboratory has been ABFT certified since July 2005.

Standards and Criteria:

Each accreditation and certifying organization has standards and criteria that must be met:

• ASCLD/LAB Legacy Standards and Criteria
• ASCLD/LAB ISO International Standards and Criteria
• ASCLD/LAB ISO International Program
• ABFT Standards and Criteria

Documents & Resources

• Convicted Offender/CODIS Program
• Forensic Services Public Records Index
• Ignition Interlock Devices
• Forensic Services Guide
• Harborview SANE Guidelines
• Supporting Criminal Justice Agencies in Washington
• Web DMS: Breath Test Program - Public Records

For additional publications, reports and forms, see the Forensic Laboratory Library page.

Impaired Driving Section

This section is made up of the Breath Test and Drug Recognition Expert Programs of the Washington State Patrol.

The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DEC) began in February 1996. Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) are trained to recognize the symptoms of intoxication for seven different categories of drugs. A 12-step standardized process is used to identify drug impairment. The Washington State Patrol provides training to both troopers and officers from local law enforcement agencies. Currently, there are 222 Drug Recognition Experts in the State of Washington.

The Breath Test Program manages and maintains all evidentiary breath-testing instruments in the state and provides all re-certification training. The section provides computerized statistical data and analysis related to DUI enforcement to members of the criminal justice community. It also provides expert witness testimony in support of the statewide breath alcohol testing program.

Breath Test Program public records — including DataMaster database records, signed affidavits and repair certifications, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and curriculum vitae — are available online at our Web Based Discovery Materials Site (WebDMS).

Please note that WebDMS will be updated weekly. If you have questions or comments or do not find the records you are seeking, please contact the Breath Test Program at breathtest@wsp.wa.gov or call the Breath Test Section of the Washington State Patrol in your local area at:

Toxicology Laboratory Division

The Washington State Toxicology Laboratory, established in 1963, performs drug and alcohol testing for coroners, medical examiners, law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorneys, and the State Liquor Control Board in all 39 Washington counties. The laboratory receives approximately 10,000 cases per year of which approximately 50 percent are law enforcement DUI cases and 50 percent coroner/medical examiner cases. The laboratory is overseen by the State Toxicologist and the laboratory manager and has a staff of 19 toxicologists and 4 support staff. Toxicologists accession samples in rotation and spend an average of two days a week testifying in court as experts on alcohol, drugs, and their effects.

The laboratory was American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT ) accredited in July 2005, becoming the 19th Forensic Toxicology laboratory to achieve ABFT accreditation.  The Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau, of which the Toxicology laboratory is a part, will also seek to achieve ASCLD/LAB ISO International accreditation of the Toxicology Laboratory and the Impaired Driving Section’s Breath Test Program by January 2009. Going through accreditation will strengthen existing Breath Test and Toxicology protocols and will put processes in place to assist each program in providing quality forensic services to the State of Washington.

Toxicology Laboratory
2203 Airport Way S, Suite 360
Seattle, WA 98134

(206) 262-6100
(206) 262-6145 – FAX

Please note that some of the documents provided on this page are available in Adobe® PDF format only and will require the Adobe® Reader in order to view or print them from your Web browser.

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Acting Director
Larry Hebert

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• Accreditation & Criteria
• Documents & Resources
• Crime Lab Division
• Forensic Careers
• Forensic Lab Library
• Ignition Interlock Devices
• Impaired Driving Section
• Toxicology Lab Division
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