Access to Standards

ADA - American Dental Association 

The American Dental Association (ADA) powers the profession of dentistry to advance the overall oral health of the public.

Standards from the ADA are available as a free download from the ADA E-Catalog. 

ASB - American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS) Academy Standards Board (ASB)

The American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS) has established an organization, the Academy Standards Board (ASB), dedicated to developing standards for forensic science. ASB is an ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organization that provides accessible, high quality science based consensus forensic  science standards.

To view the ASB published documents for various forensic science disciplines, visit the Published Documents page on the ASB website. 

ASTM International

ASTM International is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards. Today, more than 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve  product quality, enhance health and safety, strengthen market access and trade, and build consumer confidence. 

ASTM Committee E30 on Forensic Sciences develops standards relevant to forensic science, including criminalistics, digital and multimedia evidence, fire debris analysis, drug testing analysis, collection and preservation of physical and digital evidence as well as reporting of findings. 

OSAC, through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has entered into a contract with ASTM International that gives 30,000 public criminal justice agencies free access to standards published under ASTM Technical Committee E30 on Forensic Science. This agreement  applies to the following stakeholder groups:

• OSAC Members & Affiliates – approximately 750 individuals
• NIST and Federal/State/Local Crime Laboratories – approximately 412 laboratories
• Public Defenders Offices – approximately 6,000 offices
• Law Enforcement Agencies – approximately 18,000 offices
• Prosecutor Offices – approximately 3,000 offices
• Medical Examiner/Coroners Offices – approximately 3,000 offices

For access, click the "ASTM Standards Access" button at the top of this page to enter the ASTM Compass website, where you can search standards by standard number, title or keyword.

You can also access the ASTM E30 standards with these detailed instructions. 

note: some federal agencies may not be able to access this site due to your agency's firewall protection. please try accessing it using a personal device or a device that is not logged in to your agency's network. iF you are unable to access this site, please contact forensics [at] nist.gov for further assistance.

ISO - International Organization for Standardization 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 164 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

The ISO Technical Committee 272 Forensic Sciences (ISO/TC 272) develops standards that pertain to laboratory and field-based forensic science techniques and methodology in broad general areas such as the detection and collection of physical evidence, the subsequent analysis and interpretation of the evidence, and the reporting of results and findings. 

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the U.S. member body to ISO and has coordinated the development of voluntary consensus standards in the U.S. since 1918. ANSI does not write standards; rather, the Institute accredits standards developers that will establish consensus among qualified groups. ANSI’s guiding principles of “consensus, due process and openness” are followed by the 220 entities currently accredited to develop and maintain nearly 10,000 American National Standards (ANS).

Standards developed by ISO are available for purchase from the ISO Store or ANSI Webstore. 

NFPA - National Fire Protection Association 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazard. NFPA delivers knowledge and information through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. NFPA is an ANSI accredited organization with a full, open, and consensus-based standards development process. As part of its commitment to enhancing public safety, NFPA provides free online access to its codes and standards.