diff --git a/docs/TRACECLAIM.md b/docs/TRACECLAIM.md
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+++ b/docs/TRACECLAIM.md
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+# TraceClaim
+
+TraceClaim is a minimal evidence-to-claim provenance object.
+
+It sits between observation and admissibility:
+
+Tracebench packet
+-> TraceClaim
+-> admissibility-kernel candidate
+-> admissibility review
+
+TraceClaim asks:
+
+What can be claimed from this evidence, and what must not be claimed?
+
+It does not decide admissibility.
+It does not issue receipts.
+It does not certify authority.
+It does not infer intent, causality, or governance status.
+
+TraceClaim preserves the boundary:
+
+observation != claim
+claim != commitment
+commitment != authority
diff --git a/examples/tracebench_to_traceclaim_to_candidate.md b/examples/tracebench_to_traceclaim_to_candidate.md
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+# Example: Tracebench packet -> TraceClaim -> Admissibility Candidate
+
+1. Tracebench observes repeated retry behavior after tool failure.
+
+2. TraceClaim bounds the claim:
+
+- supports: observable recurrence after tool failure
+- does_not_support: intent, root cause, admissibility, safety
+- omissions: no production logs, no user interview, no runtime receipt
+- caveats: trace-only evidence
+- downstream_use: may be submitted as context for admissibility review
+
+3. Admissibility candidate references tc_001.
+
+The TraceClaim supports the candidate. It does not decide the candidate.
diff --git a/schemas/traceclaim.schema.json b/schemas/traceclaim.schema.json
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+++ b/schemas/traceclaim.schema.json
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+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "https://neverthought.dev/schemas/traceclaim.schema.json",
+  "title": "TraceClaim",
+  "description": "Minimal evidence-to-claim provenance object. It binds evidence to a bounded claim without deciding admissibility or issuing authority.",
+  "type": "object",
+  "required": [
+    "traceclaim_id",
+    "source_evidence",
+    "claim_text",
+    "claim_status",
+    "supports",
+    "does_not_support",
+    "omissions",
+    "caveats",
+    "verification_status",
+    "downstream_use"
+  ],
+  "properties": {
+    "traceclaim_id": { "type": "string" },
+    "source_evidence": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } },
+    "claim_text": { "type": "string" },
+    "claim_status": { "type": "string", "enum": ["draft", "bounded_claim", "contested", "withdrawn"] },
+    "supports": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } },
+    "does_not_support": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } },
+    "omissions": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } },
+    "caveats": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } },
+    "verification_status": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "enum": ["evidence_referenced", "partially_verified", "unverified", "requires_review"]
+    },
+    "downstream_use": { "type": "string" }
+  },
+  "additionalProperties": false
+}