How to Complete and Submit the Indiana State Police Lab Request Form

The Indiana State Police lab request form is a fillable PDF called the Request for Laboratory Examination Form, and the submission process has two steps: email the completed form to your regional ISP laboratory, then deliver the physical evidence separately in person or by approved carrier. Get the fields right, package the evidence to the lab’s rules, and the request moves into the queue. Miss a field or seal a package wrong, and the lab will come back with corrections or refuse the evidence at intake.

Where to Download the Current Form

The form lives on the Indiana State Police Evidence Submission Protocols/Forms page as a fillable PDF, alongside a companion instructions document that walks through every field.¹² The form expires every year. Once it expires, you can no longer edit it, and a new version is posted on the laboratory website each cycle. Download a fresh copy before starting any new submission so you’re not working on a version the lab will reject.

What Every Submission Requires

The form has a general information section that applies to every case, plus discipline-specific sections you only fill out if they match the analysis you need. The general section asks for:²

Investigating officer’s full name, email, and phone number.
Agency name and your department’s internal case number.
County of occurrence.
Type of investigation (burglary, homicide, sexual assault, and so on), which the lab uses to prioritize workload.
Names and identifiers for suspects and victims. If an identity is unknown at submission, write “unknown” rather than leaving the field blank, so the lab can tell you’re aware of the gap.

Each piece of evidence gets its own line with a short description of what it is and where it was collected. “Spent 9mm casing recovered from driver-side floorboard” is useful. “Casing” is not. Context helps the forensic scientist pick the right tests.

Fields That Depend on the Type of Analysis

Drug Cases

Drug submissions need the date of seizure, the type of charge (dealing, possession, or manufacturing), which items are associated with each person, and whether any subject is a juvenile.² If an item needs both drug identification and fingerprint analysis, separate the drug evidence from its container and submit them as individual sub-items.³

DNA Cases

DNA submissions require a written case summary explaining the circumstances and what you hope the analysis will show. For sexual assault kits, include the kit’s tracking number and PIN. When testing may consume the entire sample, provide the name of the individual authorizing consumption. Without that authorization, the lab will not proceed on limited samples.² The lab also reserves the right to evaluate submitted items and limit the total number tested.⁴

Latent Prints

If you’re asking the lab to defer examination of certain items, for example because they also need DNA testing first, include the name of the individual who authorized the deferral.² One standing limit: the lab will not examine cartridges or cartridge cases for fingerprints except in unusual circumstances approved by the Laboratory Manager or Latent Print Unit Supervisor.³

For prints you lifted in the field, use a backer that contrasts with the powder color and mark the back of each lifter with the case number, item number, collection date, a description of the surface and location, a sketch showing orientation, and the lifting officer’s initials. The lab strongly discourages clear-backed lifts and white or fluorescent powders.³

Firearms and Toolmarks

Select the box matching the evidence type (fired bullets, cartridge cases, firearms, tools, and so on) and include the date of occurrence or seizure.²

Packaging That Will Not Get Refused

The submitting agency is responsible for proper packaging, sealing, and labeling. Bad packaging is one of the fastest ways to have evidence turned away at the counter. The core rules:⁵

One item per container. Never package multiple items together; cross-contamination will compromise the analysis.
Containers large enough that the lab can open, work with, repackage, and reseal the contents, with enough flat surface area for the lab’s barcode label.
Tamper-evident seals on every container, with your initials or signature written across the border of the seal and the package in permanent marker. Do not use ballpoint or gel ink pens; they can puncture plastic packaging.
Minimum markings on each container: agency name, case number, item number (no duplicates within a case), and initials on the seals.

Biological Evidence

When blood, saliva, semen, or another biological fluid is expected or presumed present, affix a biohazard sticker to the outside of the packaging where it is clearly visible. Swabs collected for potential touch DNA do not need the biohazard label. Acceptable containers include paper bags, envelopes without windows, plastic bags, and cardboard boxes. For items too bulky to seal completely, call the Laboratory Manager before submission; the lab may recommend swabbing specific areas rather than transporting the whole item.⁵

Latent Print Evidence

Items submitted for fingerprint development go in paper bags, cardboard boxes, or envelopes, never plastic bags. Handle items as little as possible and touch only areas least likely to retain prints, such as rough textures, edges, or corners. Gloves help, but sweat can pass through disposable gloves and chemical deposits from the glove material can interfere with latent print development. Tape with exposed adhesive should be placed on plastic or wax paper before going into a box or bag.³

What the Lab Will Not Accept

Syringes with or without needles, injection pens, and other medical devices with needles are not accepted for analysis.⁵

How to Submit the Form

The form and the evidence travel on separate paths. Email the form first, deliver the evidence second. Use the “Email Form” button built into the PDF and send it to the regional lab that will handle your case:²

Indianapolis: IRLEvidence@isp.in.gov
Evansville: ERLEvidence@isp.in.gov
Fort Wayne: FWRLEvidence@isp.in.gov
Lowell: LRLEvidence@isp.in.gov

If you’re sending several forms at once, save them and attach them to one email, but note that most email systems cap attachments at four or five. Confirm with the lab that every request was received before scheduling your drop-off.

An Evidence Specialist reviews each form for completeness and follows up by email or phone to request corrections or missing information. All changes happen electronically. Once the form is verified, the specialist adds the laboratory case information and prints the form, so when you arrive at the counter with your evidence, the printed request is already there to check against what you deliver.²

Mailing Evidence When You Can’t Deliver in Person

Agencies that can’t deliver in person may mail evidence through a commercial carrier with traceable shipping, for certain evidence types.³ Two categories are prohibited from mail delivery and must be hand-delivered: biological evidence, which degrades without refrigeration or freezing, and clandestine drug lab evidence.⁵

Regional Laboratory Addresses

Indiana operates four regional forensic laboratories. Each accepts evidence from law enforcement agencies in its surrounding area:⁶

Indianapolis Regional Laboratory: 550 West 16th Street, Suite C, Indianapolis, IN 46202. Phone 317-921-5300, toll-free 866-855-2840.
Fort Wayne Regional Laboratory: 5811 Ellison Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804. Phone 260-436-7522, toll-free 800-552-0976.
Evansville Regional Laboratory: 19411 Highway 41 North, Evansville, IN 47725. Phone 812-867-3157, toll-free 800-852-3970.
Lowell Regional Laboratory: 1550 East 181st Avenue, Lowell, IN 46356. Phone 219-696-1835, toll-free 877-874-0009.

What to Expect After You Submit

DNA and drug identification cases currently average about 36 days statewide, though the number moves month to month and lab to lab. The Forensic Services Division’s goal across all disciplines is a 45-day turnaround.⁷ The Latent Print Unit does not yet meet that target but is expected to once newly hired staff finish training and begin casework.

To check on a pending request, contact the regional laboratory where you submitted the evidence. Status updates go to the officer of record listed on the form, so keep your contact information current throughout the investigation. If a court deadline is approaching, flag it early; the lab can sometimes adjust priorities for cases with imminent trial dates.

1
Indiana State Police. Evidence Submission Protocols/Forms
2
Indiana State Police. Instructions for Request for Laboratory Examination Form
3
Indiana State Police. Forensic Services Division Physical Evidence Bulletin – Latent Prints
4
Indiana State Police. Forensic Biology Section Test Methods
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Indiana State Police. Evidence Packaging and Submission Guidelines
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Indiana State Police. Contact Information
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Indiana State Police. Science Solves Crimes