Which of the following must be intact for evidence to be admissible in court?

Chain of custody is the documented chronological history of the evidence from the moment it is collected until it is presented in court. This meticulous record-keeping proves that the evidence has not been tampered with, substituted, or altered, which is essential for proving its authenticity and ensuring its admissibility.

Order of violation is not a recognized legal or forensic term related to the admissibility of evidence in court.

A legal hold is a process to preserve evidence when litigation is anticipated, but it does not inherently guarantee admissibility; the preserved evidence still requires an intact chain of custody.

Preservation is a necessary step in handling evidence, but it is a component of maintaining the chain of custody, which specifically provides the documented history required for admissibility.