Abfde Forensic Document

  • American Board of Forensic Document Examiners

The credential that lawyers & courts trust when a signature, a will, or a document is in question.

ABFDE-certified examiners meet the strictest standard in the field — accredited, peer reviewed, and held to a code every Diplomate is retested against.

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Become certified
  • Who we are

Set the standard for forensic document examination since 1977.

The Board certifies examiners who meet rigorous requirements in training, testing, and ethics — and holds them to it through mandatory recertification.

Learn more

1977

Board established

FSAB

Accredited body

4

Phase certification

  • Become Certified

The four-Phase 
Certification Process

Credentials

Applicants must meet strict educational requirements and have completed a two-year full-time training program.

01

Written Exam

A comprehensive examination covering technical aspects of forensic document examination and history.

02

Practical Case

Candidates must perform complex examinations and
provide documented findings on actual simulated cases.

03

Oral Boards

Final assessment by a panel of board-certified experts to evaluate technical proficiency and professionalism.

04
See Certification
  • Member only

For Current Diplomates

Access the centralized member portal to manage your certification lifecycle. From recertification applications to logging workshop credits and updating your public directory listing — everything you need is in one secure members’ area.

Recertification

Easy five-year cycle management

Workshop credit

Submit and track CE credits

Diplomate Area

Credentialed Access

Enter password required for access to the diplomate directory and recertification portal.

  • FAQ

FAQ

What is a forensic document examiner?

A forensic document examiner analyzes documents to determine authorship or authenticity or to discover facts about their preparation or subsequent handling. The examination can include comparison of handwriting or hand-printing; detection of alterations, photocopier and computer manipulation; restoration or decipherment of erased and obliterated writing; visualization of latent impressions; the identification of printing processes; and differentiation of inks. Forensic document examiners also provide their findings as expert testimony in court.

Visit our Find an Expert page to find an ABFDE-certified examiner. Note that not all Board-certified forensic document examiners are willing or allowed by their agency to take private cases, so please click on the “Accepts Private Cases?” heading twice to sort and view all the examiners with a “Yes” in that column.
ABFDE certification is a challenging process that requires a trained forensic document examiner pass a written and oral test. Successful completion means the examiner has the requisite knowledge about the field and is able to properly present and support an accurate opinion on multi-faceted cases similar to those found in real casework.
All recertification forms and the link to pay your dues are in the Recertification section of the website, found in the Diplomates menu.
  • Resources

Protected: References Full Access

Comprehensive studies and articles supporting the basic principles and methods of forensic document examination.

Learn more
  • Contact us

Get in touch

Connect with certified specialists ready to provide precise analysis, objective insights, and reliable support for your document examination needs.

  • Email

abfde@anchoroffice.com

  • Phone:

(713) 968-9824

  • Address

4265 San Felipe Street, Suite 1100 Houston, TX 77027

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