Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
This is archived content from the U.S. Department of Justice website. The information here may be outdated and links may no longer function. Please contact webmaster@usdoj.gov if you have any questions about the archive site.
Obtaining a handwriting exemplar is not a seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. A person has no expectation of privacy in handwriting because it is a physical characteristic which is constantly exposed to the public. So long as the initial seizure of the person is reasonable, compelling production of a handwriting exemplar is permissible. See United States v. Mara, 410 U.S. 19 (1973).