Forensic chemistry is the application of analytical chemistry to solve disputes in legal proceedings. The legal proceedings may involve legislative, executive, or administrative decisions but usually involve judicial proceedings, such as criminal prosecutions or civil litigation. Forensic chemists are formally trained in analytical chemistry to examine physical evidence and to testify as expert witnesses before a judge or jury.

The evidential materials commonly associated with forensic chemistry include residues from explosives, flammables, and discharge from firearms; drugs and poisons; blood and body fluids (including nuclear and mitochondrial DNA extracts); fingerprints; alcohol (including breath and body fluids); inks and pigments; and the general category of trace evidence, which includes fibers, glass, soil, hair, and paint.