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Autograph authentication: what PSA/DNA, JSA and Beckett certify

A certified autograph comes with a sticker, a letter, a sealed holder or a grade. Each one records something different, and each can be checked.

Autograph authentication is an examination of a signature by a third-party company, followed by a numbered record that can be looked up later. PSA says its authenticators use ink analysis, autograph structure analysis, object evaluation and side-by-side comparisons, sometimes with a video spectral comparator. What the owner receives afterwards depends on the company and the option paid for, and that is what “COA”, “LOA” or “encapsulated” in a listing describes.

Why the paperwork matters

The FBI’s 2005 overview of Operation Bullpen, its investigation into forged sports and celebrity memorabilia, put the U.S. autographed memorabilia market at about $1 billion a year and forged items at over $100 million of it. Convicted sellers, the FBI wrote, obtained one or two genuine signatures from the person and then forged many more. Phase I of the case ended in April 2000 with 26 people charged, all of them convicted.

Terms on the paperwork

Autograph certification vocabulary, as the companies use it
TermWhat it meansUsed by
COA (certificate of authenticity)PSA/DNA’s standard certificate for an item that is not encapsulated. Under a $50 authentication price, the label must go on the item.PSA
LOA (letter of authenticity)A fuller letter, bought as an upgrade; the sticker can then go on the letter instead of the item.PSA, Beckett
Tamper-evident stickerA numbered sticker that can be applied only once.PSA, Beckett
DNA daubA marking PSA/DNA puts on the item; PSA checks it before re-issuing a lost label and COA.PSA
EncapsulationThe item is sealed in a tamper-evident holder with a label and cert number; removing it voids the certification.PSA, Beckett, CGC x JSA
Autograph gradeA number for the quality of a signature already found genuine; PSA’s scale runs 1–10.PSA, CGC x JSA, Beckett
WitnessedA company representative watched the signing: PSA In-The-Presence, CGC Signature Series, JSA Witnessed, Beckett Witness Certification.All
Three ways a certified autograph is documented Three generic panels: a signed item with an oval sticker beside a letter with a hologram; a signed item sealed in a labelled holder; a signed card in a graded holder whose label has separate card and autograph grade boxes. Numbers match the list below. CARD AUTO Sticker + letterEncapsulatedSigned card 123456
  1. Sticker: PSA/DNA’s is a half-inch oval with a six-digit alphanumeric number that tears apart if peeled off. Beckett’s can go on the item or the letter.
  2. Letter or certificate: the paper record; a PSA/DNA LOA adds a color-changing hologram and watermarks.
  3. Sealed holder: tamper-evident; PSA and Beckett both void certification once the item is removed.
  4. Holder label: item details and certification number. A PSA-encapsulated item gets no separate certificate or sticker unless a letter is ordered.
  5. Two grades: PSA’s Dual Service grades card and signature separately, 1–10.
  6. The signature: manufacturer-certified, pack-pulled autographs are graded with the card; signatures added later need authentication first.
Generic, unbranded items and holders drawn by Crazy Uncle’s Card Notes from PSA’s autograph encapsulation page and FAQ, Beckett Authentication’s FAQ and CGC Cards’ help center. Not to scale; no real label, signature, card or company branding shown.

What each company gives you

Documentation options as published, checked 2026-10-14 — scroll sideways on small screens
CompanyPaper and stickerEncapsulationSigned cardsHow to check
PSA/DNACOA with tamper-evident label; LOA upgrade with hologram and DNA-helix and PSA/DNA watermarksSonically sealed holder, blue label with cert number; no COA, sticker or daub unless an LOA is addedPre-1998 or not manufacturer-certified: Card and Autograph Dual Service. Manufacturer-certified from 1998: regular grading, card onlyPSA Cert Verification page or app; its SecureScan images do not cover autographs
JSA (with CGC Cards)JSA’s own site showed no readable text when checked; CGC describes a JSA Witnessed sticker for items CGC does not encapsulateJSA authenticates, CGC grades and encapsulates: CGC x JSA Authentic Autograph label (unwitnessed) or CGC Signature Series (witnessed)Autographed cards go through CGC x JSA, as do certain pack-pulled autographs on CGC’s listCGC Cards cert lookup
Beckett Authentication (BAS)Sticker on the item or the letter; under $50 it goes on the item unless a Letter Upgrade is boughtCase fits 8x10 photos down to cards; no letter; removal or tampering ends the certificationAfter-market autographs through BAS; manufacturer-certified ones can go straight to Beckett GradingBeckett.com or the Beckett app, both offline in October 2026 per Beckett’s notice

JSA was founded in 2005 by James Spence Jr. Certified Collectibles Group, CGC’s parent, announced an agreement to acquire it in March 2024, and CGC Cards and JSA began their combined service for trading cards on July 15, 2024, with JSA authenticating at CGC’s facilities.

Signed cards: which route

  1. Find out who certified the signature. A pack-pulled autograph certified by the manufacturer is treated as part of the card: PSA grades those dated 1998 or later through its regular card service and evaluates only the card, and Beckett lets them go straight to Beckett Grading.
  2. Signatures added later need authentication first. PSA routes autographed cards dated before 1998, or not manufacturer-certified, to its Card and Autograph Dual Service; Beckett sends all after-market autographs through Beckett Authentication; CGC uses CGC x JSA.
  3. Decide whether the signature gets a number. Both grades are optional in PSA’s Dual Service. CGC offers “Any grade”, “Authentic only” or a minimum autograph grade at no extra fee, on cards with up to two signatures; under Any grade, a score below 5 is certified authentic only.
  4. Witnessed signings take the witnessed route. CGC says only cards signed in front of a CGC or JSA representative qualify for Signature Series, and witnessed-only autographs cannot be crossed into it (see crossover grading).
  5. Know what a fail costs. PSA says fees are still owed if an item fails authentication. CGC says a card with a non-genuine or altered autograph is not encapsulated and its CGC grading fees are refunded.

How PSA grades a signature

PSA’s autograph grading standards say the grade comes down to “the degree of strength and weakness within the signature”, with eye appeal and presentation also weighed. Only an autograph PSA has certified as genuine can be graded.

PSA autograph grades, paraphrased from PSA’s Autograph Grading Standards
GradeWhat PSA’s standard describes
GEM-MT 10A virtually perfect autograph: bold and clean, no skipping or retracing, consistent with how the person signs
MINT 9Only one minor flaw, such as a very light skip, slightly less boldness or a small placement issue
NM-MT 8A more noticeable minor skip, slightly weaker boldness or very slight fading; fully legible
NM 7Even fading, minor blemishes, more visible skipping or bleeding, or a very slight retrace by the signer
EX-MT 6More fading than a 7, or placement that noticeably hurts display
EX 5Aging is evident; a retrace of up to about 25% may be acceptable
VG-EX 4Advanced fading in areas; at least about 75% visible; retrace up to about 35%
VG 3Faded throughout, with at least about 50% visible
GOOD 2Up to about 75% of the content may be lost, but enough remains to establish authenticity
PR-FR 1Can barely be deciphered

Fees and waits (as of 2026-10-14)

  • PSA: priced by signer from the PSA/DNA Pricing Schedule (multi-signed items by the highest-priced signer and signature count). A letter on top of encapsulation is $15, a Jumbo holder $30 extra; 50+ items can get bulk pricing by email.
  • Beckett Authentication: priced by signer, plus a Premium Item Fee at declared values of $5,000 or more. Letter Upgrade and replacement letter: $20 each. Estimated, not guaranteed: 45+ business days with documentation, 50+ for encapsulation, 60 for card and autograph grading.
  • CGC x JSA: a JSA fee per card regardless of how many autographs it carries, plus CGC grading fees; amounts are on CGC’s fee pages.

Before you buy a certified autograph

  • Look the number up on the issuing company’s own site, not through a link in the listing (see how to verify a cert number), and match the description to the item.
  • The sticker is whole, the holder is sealed, and a PSA/DNA letter shows its hologram and watermarks.
  • On a signed card, the label says what was certified: the card, the autograph, or both.
  • Check the holder for the warning signs in how to spot a fake slab.

Sources

  1. PSA — Autograph Authentication
  2. PSA — Autograph Encapsulation
  3. PSA — Autograph Grading Standards
  4. PSA — Support FAQ
  5. PSA — Cert Verification
  6. Beckett Authentication Services — FAQ
  7. Beckett — service status notice (site offline)
  8. CGC Cards Help Center — CGC Signature Series and JSA autograph authentication
  9. CGC — “CGC Cards and JSA Now Offering Combined Services for TCGs, Sports Cards and Non-sports Cards” (July 15, 2024)
  10. CGC — “The Difference Between CGC x JSA Autograph Authentication and CGC Signature Series” (March 13, 2025)
  11. PMG — “Certified Collectibles Group to Acquire James Spence Authentication” (March 20, 2024)
  12. CGC Cards — Help Center: other grading topics (CrossOver, ReHolder, autographs)
  13. FBI — Operation Bullpen overview (July 2005)

Sources checked October 2026.