FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION SPECIALIST I

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:

We encourage applications from everyone.

FILING PERIOD:

We will be accepting online applications from Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 8:00 A.M. (PT) until Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. (PT).

All applications must be received before 5:00 P.M (PT) on Thursday, April 23, 2026 , to be accepted.

EXAM NUMBER

J4332T

Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits

Los Angeles County offers one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the nation: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/
Why work for us?
With more than 10 million residents, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation! As the largest employer in Southern California, over 116,000 employees in more than 38 Departments provide vital public services as diverse as law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, cultural activities and many more.

We are dedicated professionals committed to preserving the dignity and integrity of the workplace as well as protecting the rights of each employee. The County has more than 2,300 different job descriptions, offering a lifetime of opportunities and careers! We offer one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the nation. Join us and discover a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax, and rejuvenate in order to reach your fullest personal and professional potential.

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Essential Job Functions

Takes fingerprints and palm prints using printer's ink or computerized optical digital technology.

Develops, collects, and preserves latent fingerprints from typical surfaces using conventional techniques, chemical processing, and alternate light source technologies.

Compares latent prints to inked or digitally captured prints.

Prepares, enters, and compares latent fingerprints in an automated fingerprint identification system.

Participates in crime scene investigations to recognize, search for, collect, and preserve physical evidence.

Documents crime scenes through note-taking, diagramming, photographing, and video recording.

Preserves impressions of shoe prints, tire tracks, and other objects at crime scenes through casting and photography.

Prepares detailed reports of crime scene investigations, other activities, and comparison results.

Accesses crime scenes in a variety of environments including remote areas requiring mountaineering and other entrance and egress techniques to document and collect evidence.

Testifies as an expert witness in court.

Serves on-call and responds to crime scene locations within LA County jurisdiction within short notice (typically departing within 20 minutes of notice) to process crime scenes during a 24-hour operation, including nights and on holidays.

For more information, please view the classification specification: FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION SPECIALIST I

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY

OPTION I
Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate of Arts or Science degree* in criminalistics, police science, or a related field** with completion of a minimum of eight (8) semester units or twelve (12) quarter units of photography, crime scene investigation, fingerprinting, or criminalistics.

APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS BY THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2026, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS EXAMINATION.

OPTION II
Two years of experience at the level of Los Angeles County's class of a Forensic Technician II ***, Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems Technician II ***, Criminalistics Laboratory Technician ***, Photographer I ***, or work experience detecting, lifting, and retrieving latent prints from crime scenes, or providing direct assistance to forensic identification specialists or other law enforcement investigation professionals conducting field investigations.

LICENSE

A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions. Candidates offered these positions would be required to show proof of a valid California Class C Driver License prior to appointment.

Out-of-state applicants must have a valid license from the state in which they reside at the time of filing. Out-of-State applicants will be required to obtain a California Class C Driver License prior to appointment.
LICENSE INFORMATION
Successful applicants for this position will be required to obtain a copy of their driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before being appointed. A copy of your record must be presented at the time of your appointment. License must not be suspended, restricted, or revoked. AN APPLICANT WHOSE DRIVING RECORD SHOWS THREE (3) OR MORE VIOLATIONS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR WILL NOT BE APPOINTED.

PHYSICAL CLASS
Physical Class III - Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION
*To receive credit for the required coursework and degree, you MUST include a legible copy of the official transcripts AND official degree, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the completed semester/quarter units of coursework in the areas of specialization with your application or within 7 days from the end of the filing period (from Thursday, April 23, 2026).Documentation should be submitted to sheriffexamsunit@lasd.org and indicate your name, the exam title, and exam number. Failure to provide the required documentation will result in application rejection. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted to meet the education requirement. The document should show the date the degree was conferred, number of units and the type of unit system used (e.g., semester, quarter) and be in English. If not in English, then translation is required. International degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to US standards and indicate the number of units and unit system. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit:

https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf

**Related fields include, but are not limited to: Administration of Justice, Criminal Justice, Anthropology, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Engineering, Fire Technology, Forensic Science, Geology, Genetics and Cell Biology, Health Science, Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, Photography, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, and Sociology.

***For a full description of the class specifications of Los Angeles County's Forensic Technician II (Item # 4888), Automated Fingerprint Identification System Technician II (Item # 1552), Criminalistics Laboratory Technician (Item # 4331), and Photographer I (Item # 7076) please click the hyperlink on the job title OR go to Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/ and type in the job title or item number under "FIND JOB DESCRIPTIONS" search box.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
As part of this application process, applicants will be required to complete a supplemental questionnaire. The questionnaire contains a pre-investigative questionnaire which will be implemented as part of the background investigation process to ensure applicants meet the standards set forth by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Applicants who fail the pre-investigative questionnaire will be disqualified and will have to wait three (3) months from the date of the disqualification in order to reapply.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Credit will be given to applicants who possess DESIRABLE qualifications and indicate so on their employment application at the time of filing.

• Coursework* completion earned as part of a certificate or degree program in the field of forensics (40 hours of coursework = 4 quarter units = 2.67 semester units):
  • Coursework in the Friction Ridge Examination Process
    
  • Coursework in Courtroom Testimony (which includes at least an overview of the legal system, how evidence is presented in court, and how to answer questions in the courtroom)
    
  • Coursework in Crime Scene Photography
    
  • Coursework in Sketching Crime Scenes or Measuring Crime Scene Evidence
    
• At least two (2) years of experience as a latent print examiner, crime scene investigator, or crime scene investigator who investigates crime against persons beyond the minimum requirements.
  
• A Bachelor's degree* from an accredited college or university.
  

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of three (3) parts:

PART I:
A computerized multiple-choice test weighted 40% assessing:

• Reading Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Checking for Errors
• Pattern Recognition
• Situational Judgement
  

THE COMPUTERIZED MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST IS NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

ONLY CANDIDATES WHO ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON PART I WILL PROCEED TO PART II.

PART II:
This examination will consist of a structured interview weighted 45% assessing:

• Applied Experience and Training
• Adaptability
• Friction Skin Evidence Process
• Photography
• Identification of Fingerprints
• Evidence Processing
• Crime Scene Processing
• Verbal Communication
• Written Communication
  

As part of the interview, candidates will also be required to complete a brief writing exercise. Candidates who do not submit a writing exercise will be disqualified from this examination.

ONLY CANDIDATES WHO ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON PART II WILL PROCEED TO PART III.

PART III
An evaluation of training, education, and experience based upon application information and desirable qualifications weighted 15%.

APPLICANTS MUST ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON EACH WEIGHTED PART TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST.

TESTING ACCOMMODATION
If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the examination process, you will be required to submit documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support your request for a testing accommodation. Please note, you will be contacted at a later time by a Sheriff's Department representative that will guide you through the process. You will be provided with an initial deadline to submit documentation. Failure to submit the required documentation by the deadline will delay your participation in the examination process and consideration for initial placement on the eligible list.

TEST PREPARATION
DHR provides study guides and other test preparation resources to help candidates prepare for employment tests. While the guides may help in preparing for the test, we recommend reviewing all related materials that seem necessary.

• Various information can be found on DHR's website at https://hr.lacounty.gov/job-search-toolkit/ . The section dedicated to test preparation is "Employment Test Assistance."
  

VETERAN'S CREDIT
If you are a veteran, you may be eligible for veteran's credit, which is an additional 10% of the total points added to a passing score. We will need a copy of your form DD214 to review, so please include that with your application or email it to the exam analyst at sheriffexamsunit@lasd.org as soon as possible so, if you are eligible for veteran's credit, we can include it before the list is available.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION

The names of applicants receiving a passing grade in the examination will be place on the eligible list in the order of their score group for a period of six (6) months from the date of promulgation.

The list of successful applicants created from this exam will be used to fill vacancies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department , Technology and Support Division, Scientific Services Bureau.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE A THOROUGH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING FINGERPRINT SEARCH. Examples of disqualifying factors include: Any felony convictions; job related misdemeanor convictions; certain serious traffic convictions or patterns of traffic violations (3 moving violations in one year; failure to appear; at fault accidents; suspended license; driving under the influence); poor credit history; poor employment history; substance abuse; anyone on probation.

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY IF HIRED
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Department) has a " zero tolerance " policy for its employees for the following:

• use of narcotics, controlled substances, and/or prescription drugs without a prescription.

Any employee found in violation of this policy will be subject to discharge.

AVAILABLE SHIFT Any Shift

APPOINTEES MUST BE WILLING TO WORK ANY SHIFT, INCLUDING EVENINGS, NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, AND HOLIDAYS.


WORK CONDITIONS

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates seven (7) days a week, 24-hours a day. Appointees MUST agree to the specified working conditions listed on the supplemental questionnaire.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates. Your application and supplemental questionnaire must be submitted electronically before 5:00 P.M., PT, on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

• jphizon@lasd.org
• info@governmentjobs.com
• noreply@governmentjobs.com

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL APPLICATION FILING PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS.

TO ENSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED, YOU MUST HAVE RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION EMAIL AS VERIFICATION.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:

For applicants who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, EMAIL, AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase an applicant's original application record.
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
ADA Coordinator Phone: (213) 229-1621
Teletype Phone: (213) 626-0251
Department Contact Name: Professional Examinations Unit
Department Contact Phone: (323) 526-5611
Department Contact Email: sheriffexamsunit@lasd.org

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 4/23/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

Show more