How do Federal Rules of Evidence 901 and 902(14) apply to WhatsApp chats?
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
In US federal courts, Rule 901(a) asks for evidence sufficient to support a finding that an item is what you say it is. Rules 902(13) and 902(14) let certain electronic records be authenticated by a qualified person's certification, with written notice. A VaultXT PDF doesn't meet 902(13) or 902(14) by itself.
What did we check?
We read Rules 901 and 902 on Cornell's Legal Information Institute site on 30 October 2026. These are the federal rules only. We haven't checked state rules or case law.
What does Rule 901 ask for?
- 901(a): "evidence sufficient to support a finding" that the item is what you claim.
- 901(b)(4): "distinctive characteristics of the item, taken together with all the circumstances". For chats, lawyers often look at phone numbers, content only the sender would know, and replies that follow on.
What do 902(13) and 902(14) add?
- 902(13): "A record generated by an electronic process or system that produces an accurate result."
- 902(14): "Data copied from an electronic device, storage medium, or file."
Both need a qualified person's certification, and the other side must get reasonable written notice. Who qualifies and what to certify is a question for a US lawyer.
Does a VaultXT PDF meet them?
No, not by itself. A pack reproduces the messages you choose, in date order, with page numbers, and lets you check each quote against your export. It doesn't:
- prove who sent a message or held the phone
- show the copy was taken from the device in a verified way
- supply a certification or give notice
A text export can be edited, so keep the phone and the unchanged export. See screenshot or export.
What should I do now?
- Keep the original chat, and turn off disappearing messages.
- Save an unedited export: how to export with dates.
- Pick the key messages in Make a pack and run Check a pack.
- Give the pack and the export to a US attorney and ask how to proceed.
VaultXT runs on your device, so nothing is uploaded. Elsewhere, rules differ: see Australia.
Questions people ask
Does a PDF of my chat meet Rule 902(14)?
Not on its own, because the rule involves a qualified person's certification and notice.
Do state courts follow the federal rules?
Many have their own versions, so ask a lawyer in your state.
Next step: Make a pack for your lawyer, then check it.
General information, not legal advice. Speak to a US attorney about a real case.