The use of HAT allows significantly less invasive sampling than even a buccal swab because it requires only pressing the sticky tape against the skin in a hairless location. By placing the two sticky sides together the sample is protected from contamination, moisture, and most other possible environmental insults. A portion of this tape can be cutoff and dissolved directly in extraction buffer. The resultant solution can be sampled for quantitative analysis of the nuclear DNA present and then an appropriate aliquot taken for amplification and subsequent DNA analysis. This study employed a HAT method for efficient collection of DNA control samples. The experiment was designed to determine the amount of tape that could be employed for collection of DNA and that would not inhibit PCR amplification. The results show that the use of HAT provides a less invasive method for collecting DNA control samples and potential evidence samples for short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. The data demonstrate that DNA profiles can be obtained using HAT without an inhibitory effect on DNA amplification. STR analysis was successfully performed on the surface cells collected from several areas of the body using this HAT method. The DNA genotype profiles obtained were consistent with those from other DNA sampling techniques such as buccal swab or blood collection. This collection method should reduce the risks of DNA degradation due to bacteria action, moisture, and air, which are encountered using conventional collection methods. The results have demonstrated that using the HAT method, the DNA samples are stable for 1 month after collection. Future research should study the stability of the DNA samples under long-term storage. 3 figures, 15 references