India's first full-fledged Forensic Science Laboratory was established in 1952 in Calcutta by upgrading the Chemical Examiner Lab started in 1840's. The first Finger Print Bureau was started in Calcutta in 1897 by Sir Edward Henry, the Father of fingerprint system and the first Document Examiner's lab was established in 1906 in Shimla. A Serologist lab was established in 1950's in Calcutta.

Today, most of the States in India have full-fledged Forensic Science Laboratories and some of them have also established Regional and District Forensic Science Laboratories. There are also four Central Government Forensic Science Laboratories, CFSL's, situated in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Calcutta and Hyderabad and 3 Document Examiner labs, GESQD in Shimla, Calcutta and Hyderabad. Some states have Document Examiner labs outside the purview of FSLs. There are Fingerprint Bureau in all states as a part of State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB's). There is a Central Fingerprint Bureau in New Delhi as a part of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).