Suitability of the DNA content in urine stained material was evaluated for use in forensic analysis. High molecular weight (HMW) DNA (>20 kb, where 1kb equals 1000 base pairs) was obtained in only 9% (4 out of 44) of laboratory produced urine stains using an organic extraction method. Slot blot hybridization analysis with a human specific repeat probe (SLI332) showed that these stains contained DNA of human origin. A group of 12 urine stains from the original 44 that did not yield any DNA was subjected to Chelex resin extraction followed by PCR amplification for genotyping of the Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) DQA1 locus. Typing was successfull on 5 of the 12 samples. The concentrated sediment from the original liquid urine portion of the samples was similarly subjected to Chelex extraction and HLA DQA1 typing. Six out of ten samples were successfully typed. Blood specimens collected from the urine donors to serve as typing controls yielded identical genotypes in all cases. PCR based analysis of urine stains may yield useful forensic information even when the DNA content is extremely low, degraded or undetectable.