Run a free JSA cert lookup before you buy signed memorabilia. James Spence Authentication issues an alpha-numeric, tamper-evident label with a matching certification number, whether the item came back with a Letter of Authenticity (LOA), a basic certification COA and registration card, or a Witnessed Protection Program (WPP) label. Enter that number, scan the QR code or upload a photo to check the provider record when available, and every result is screened against our Fraud Base of known fake, stolen, reused or compromised numbers, with 25+ authentication providers supported in the same place. Holding a signed card or comic in a CGC slab with a CGC x JSA label? That one is verified through the CGC cert lookup instead. CheckCOA is independent and not the official JSA site.
Checking more than JSA? CheckCOA also verifies PSA/DNA, Beckett BAS, SGC Authentic, CGC, Upper Deck, Fanatics and 20+ more autograph and grading providers in one place.
Enter the JSA certification number exactly as printed on the tamper-evident label, registration card or LOA. JSA numbers start with 1-2 letters, or a 3-letter W prefix such as WIT or WPP, followed by 5-8 digits.
JSA is one of the most widely used third-party autograph authenticators in the hobby. Autograph collecting is a Spence family tradition passed down through four generations, and founder James Spence Jr. built the company out of his own collecting and years of research, compiling an exemplar library that JSA describes as second to none. That reference library now holds nearly 700,000 exemplar files, which authenticators compare against the autographs submitted to them every day. JSA opinions are accepted by major auction houses across the country, and every certified item is tied to a certification number you can look up.
JSA returns different documents depending on the value of the item and how the signature was observed, but all of them carry the same kind of certification number. Whichever one you are holding, enter that number here. JSA says items it values above $300 are required to receive a Letter of Authenticity, while lower-value items receive its basic certification.
The full letter, with an inset image of the item, signed by an autograph expert before a licensed notary. It adds customized data such as the number of signatures, manufacturer, writing implement and item type. A certification label goes on the item or the letter, and its number appears on the LOA.
Used for lower-value items. It comes with a JSA registration card carrying a unique certification number that matches the alpha-numeric tamper-evident label. No notary, no inset image and no full description, but the number is uploaded to the JSA database for customer verification.
A JSA representative watches the athlete or celebrity sign at a show, convention or signing event, so the signature is witnessed rather than examined afterward. Witnessed labels are the ones that commonly carry a W prefix such as WIT or WPP.
Find the alpha-numeric certification number on the JSA label, registration card or LOA, then check it against the provider record. JSA states that certification numbers are uploaded to its database for customer verification access within 24 hours, so a very recently certified item can take a day to appear. Reading the number correctly matters more than anything else here: characters like 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to confuse in a listing photo.
It is printed on the tamper-evident JSA label, and repeated on the registration card or LOA when one was issued.
Scan the QR code on newer labels, upload a clear photo and let OCR read it, or type the number exactly as printed.
Compare the returned signer, item type and description with the actual item, the label and the seller photos.
JSA certification numbers are alpha-numeric. Most start with one or two letters followed by five to eight digits. Witnessed items often use a three-letter W prefix, such as WIT or WPP, followed by the digits. Enter every letter and digit with no spaces or dashes, and do not trust a number retyped in a marketplace description without checking it against a photo of the label itself.
JSA is part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), the same parent company as CGC, and the two run a joint service. Under CGC x JSA, an autographed card or comic is authenticated by JSA and then graded and encapsulated by CGC, and it comes back in a CGC holder with the black and yellow CGC x JSA Authentic Autograph label. Signed index cards and cut autographs can also be authenticated by JSA and encapsulated in a CGC holder. If your item is in a slab, the number on the CGC label is a CGC certification number, so use the CGC lookup rather than this page.
A sticker or COA on a ball, photo, jersey, helmet or letter. That is this page.
A CGC holder with a CGC x JSA or Signature Series label carries a CGC certification number. Use the CGC cards lookup.
Encapsulated signed comics use the CGC comics lookup, again with the number from the CGC label.
JSA is an established and widely used autograph authenticator, its LOAs are accepted at major auction houses, and its certification numbers are recognised across the hobby. As with any third-party authenticator, a certificate reflects an expert opinion rather than an absolute guarantee, and collectors do sometimes disagree with a call. JSA also issues results other than a pass: a Letter of Opinion when its experts consider a signature questionable, a Clubhouse Letter when an item was ghost signed by a batboy, secretary or family member rather than the athlete, and an Inconclusive Letter when no consensus can be reached. Treat a JSA number as strong supporting evidence, verify it, and still judge the signature, the item and the seller.
A standard JSA lookup can confirm whether a certification number exists in the provider record. CheckCOA brings that into one verification workflow across providers and adds a safety layer: Fraud Alert checks against known fake COAs, copied certificate numbers, reused labels and compromised records.
A genuine JSA label can be peeled off one item and applied to another, and a real certification number can be copied into a listing for something else entirely. CheckCOA screens every JSA lookup against a growing database of known fake, stolen, reused and compromised certificate numbers to help reduce that risk.
A clean result is not a guarantee of authenticity. A real number can sit on counterfeit paperwork, and unreported misuse will not appear, so always combine the lookup with the physical item, the label and the seller's history.
Use this JSA cert lookup for signed memorabilia carrying a JSA label, registration card or LOA, especially when checking a marketplace listing or a high-demand signature before you pay.
Enter the number from the JSA label, registration card or LOA and screen it with free Fraud Alert protection.
Check the sticker or LOA number first, then compare the returned signer and item details instead of relying on the existence of a record alone.
Work through four checks in order. First, look up the full alphanumeric number from the JSA sticker or LOA and confirm a record comes back at all. Second, compare that record with the item: the signer and item description should make sense for the autograph being sold, and the sticker number should agree with the accompanying paperwork when both are present. Third, inspect the physical sticker for print quality, alterations and placement, and ask for uncropped photos that show the sticker on the signed item rather than a cropped close-up of the number alone. Fourth, and most often skipped, check whether that number has already been reported: a genuine JSA number can be copied from a real item and attached to a fake one, so a valid record is not proof on its own. CheckCOA screens every JSA lookup against 25,000+ reported fake, stolen, reused and compromised numbers for exactly this reason. A database match shows the number exists; it cannot show that the sticker and autograph in front of you are the original pair.
The number is printed on the JSA authentication sticker and, for items issued with a Letter of Authenticity, on the LOA as well. Enter all letters and digits exactly as shown. Do not copy a marketplace title or seller-supplied transcription without checking the photo, because similar characters are easily confused. If the listing includes only the number, request one close-up that shows the sticker clearly and another that shows the sticker in context on the signed item.
Some newer JSA labels use a short QR destination that redirects to the provider record. Scanning that code is a convenient way to capture the certificate number, but the redirect itself is not an authenticity test. CheckCOA resolves supported QR destinations and uses the resulting identifier for the lookup. After the record appears, confirm that the certificate number, signer and item description match what you can see. If the QR is unreadable or points somewhere unexpected, enter the printed number manually and avoid non-provider login or payment pages.
The certificate number must match exactly. When the source supplies a signer, item type, description or authentication details, compare each field with the autograph, sticker and LOA. Pay attention to generic descriptions: a record that says only “signed item” provides less confirmation than a specific player and object. Check whether the seller has reused the same certificate image in multiple listings, and compare handwriting or placement only as supporting context. Any material conflict between the provider record and the physical item requires clarification before purchase.
First check the prefix, letter shapes and digits, then retry without spaces. Make sure the number belongs to JSA rather than another authenticator. Newly issued or older records may have limited availability, and provider services can be temporarily unavailable. A damaged QR can fail even when the printed number is correct, so manual entry is the best second attempt. If the number still has no record, request the complete sticker and LOA images and contact the provider before relying on seller screenshots.
Be cautious when the sticker number is blurred, cropped or different from the LOA; when printing appears altered; when the returned signer or item description conflicts with the listing; or when the seller refuses current close-ups. Search for duplicate photos and review seller history. A genuine certificate number can be copied onto counterfeit paperwork, so the lookup should be combined with physical details and provenance. CheckCOA’s Fraud Alert screen can identify reported compromised numbers, but an unreported misuse will not automatically appear.
Yes. Checking a JSA certification number on CheckCOA is free and needs no account. Every lookup also runs a Fraud Alert check against known fake, stolen, reused and compromised numbers. Creating a free account only adds History, Collections and Wishlist so your checks are saved instead of lost when you close the tab.
A Letter of Authenticity is the full document, with an inset image of the item, signed by an autograph expert before a licensed notary and carrying customized details such as the number of signatures, manufacturer and writing implement. JSA says items it values above $300 are required to receive an LOA. Basic certification is used for lower-value items and comes with a registration card whose unique number matches the tamper-evident label, without a notary, image or full description. Witnessed Protection Program items were watched being signed by a JSA representative at a show or signing event. All three carry a certification number you can enter here.
Those three-letter W prefixes are associated with JSA witnessed certification, where a JSA representative watched the athlete or celebrity sign the item rather than examining it afterward. Enter the whole number, prefix included and with no spaces, exactly as printed on the label.
JSA is an established and widely used autograph authenticator, its Letters of Authenticity are accepted by major auction houses, and its certification numbers are recognised across the hobby. As with any third-party authenticator, a certificate is an expert opinion rather than an absolute guarantee, and collectors sometimes disagree with a call. JSA also issues a Letter of Opinion when its experts consider a signature questionable, a Clubhouse Letter when an item was ghost signed by a batboy, secretary or family member, and an Inconclusive Letter when no consensus can be reached.
No. Under CGC x JSA the autograph is authenticated by JSA and then graded and encapsulated by CGC, so the number printed on the CGC holder label is a CGC certification number. Use the CGC cards lookup for cards and the CGC comics lookup for comics. This page is for loose signed items carrying a JSA label, registration card or LOA. Open the CGC cards certificate lookup
They are sister brands. JSA is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, the parent company of CGC, following CCG's acquisition of JSA announced in 2024. James Spence Jr. and James Spence III remained at the helm of JSA. In practice that is why CGC x JSA exists: JSA authenticates the autograph and CGC grades and encapsulates the collectible.
JSA states that certification numbers are uploaded to its database for customer verification access within 24 hours, so a freshly certified item can take about a day before a lookup returns anything. If the item is new, recheck the number the next day before assuming there is a problem.
No. CheckCOA is an independent verification tool. It checks provider records when available, keeps all your checks across 25+ providers in one place, and adds Fraud Alert checks against known fake, stolen, reused or compromised numbers.
Yes. Every JSA lookup is screened against CheckCOA's Fraud Alert database of 25,000+ known fake, stolen, reused and compromised certificate records. This helps flag known fake COAs, counterfeit slabs, reused serial numbers and other reported risk signals, but it does not replace expert authentication.
All-in-one cert lookup across PSA, Beckett, CGC, Upper Deck, BGS and 20+ more. Every scan is auto-checked against our growing Fraud Alert database - 25,000+ known fake, stolen, reused & compromised certificates.