Need assistance in locating writing samples for comparison? To better understand all of the intricacies of an individual’s signature, a Forensic Document Examiner will request original documents, or as close to originals as can be found. If scans or faxes can be avoided, it is preferable, as these modes of communication tend to distort the detail of a document’s printed, typed or handwritten matter.
Below please find a list of obvious, and not-so-obvious, documents where writing samples can be found:
| Address change forms | Affidavits | Agreements, business |
| Agreements, car rental | Agreements, financial | Agreements, rental |
| Applications, credit | Applications, employment | Applications, insurance |
| Applications, loan | Applications, passport | Automobile licenses |
| Bank records | Bank safety box records | Bibles, family |
| Bills of sale | Birth certificates | Business correspondence |
| Cards, birthday | Cards, Christmas | Cards, get well |
| Cards, greeting | Checks, business or personal | Club records |
| Contracts | Cooking recipes | Correspondence, business or personal |
| Court records | Credit cards, receipts | Death certificates |
| Deeds | Depositions | Diplomas |
| Drivers licenses | Employment records | Fingerprint records |
| Funeral registers | Grocery lists | Hospital records |
| Hotel and motel records | Investment accounts | Leases |
| Letters | Licenses, fishing/hunting | Licenses, marriage |
| Marriage certificates | Membership cards | Military records |
| Money orders | Mortgages | Naturalization papers |
| Passports | Pawnshop records | Payroll deduction authorizations |
| Personal correspondence | Post cards | Power of Attorney |
| Receipts | Reports, accident | Social security cards |
| Stock transfers | Tax returns | Time sheets |
| Travellers cheques | Wills |