You can get a DNA test for your child at an AABB-accredited laboratory, at some doctor’s offices and clinics that partner with those labs, or through an at-home kit sold at pharmacies, big-box stores, and online. The right place depends on one question: do you need the result to hold up in court, or do you just want a private answer? That single decision changes where you go, what you pay, and what the result is good for.
Legal Test or At-Home Test: Decide First
The DNA science is the same in both cases. What differs is the paperwork around the sample.
A legal test uses a trained collector who checks photo ID, witnesses the swab, photographs the participants, and seals everything in tamper-proof packaging with a documented chain of custody. That paper trail is what makes the result admissible as evidence.1National Institute of Justice. What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence – Chain of Custody of Evidence An at-home test skips all of that. You swab, mail, and get results online. The lab analysis is just as accurate, but with no witnessed collection, no court will accept it.
If there is any realistic chance the result will end up in a child support, custody, inheritance, or immigration matter, go straight to the legal test. Running a cheap kit first and a legal test afterward means paying twice.
Finding an AABB-Accredited Lab
For any legal purpose, the lab must be accredited by the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks, now the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies). AABB-accredited labs follow validated procedures and maintain chain of custody from collection through the final report.2AABB. DNA Relationship Testing FAQs Many state courts require AABB accreditation before they will admit DNA evidence, and the federal government requires it for immigration-related testing.3AABB. Standards for Relationship Testing Laboratories
You can find a nearby facility through the AABB’s online directory at aabb.org.4AABB. AABB-Accredited Relationship DNA Testing Facilities If none is close, most listed labs can arrange collection at a clinic in their network, and many can coordinate collections overseas. You contact the lab, schedule an appointment, and bring the child along with your photo ID.
Where to Get an At-Home Kit
If you only want a private answer, at-home paternity kits are stocked at many pharmacies and big-box retailers and sold online. The kit contains cheek swabs and prepaid return packaging. You collect the samples yourself, mail them to the lab, and view the results online.
Check the price carefully. Some kits have a low sticker price but charge a separate lab processing fee when you register the kit, so the real total is higher than the box suggests. And remember what you are buying: a private answer, not evidence.
When the Court Orders the Test
If parents disagree about paternity and someone files a legal action, a judge can order everyone involved to submit to genetic testing. Federal law requires every state to have procedures for ordering DNA tests in contested paternity cases when either party makes a sworn request.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 666 – Requirement of Statutorily Prescribed Procedures to Improve Effectiveness of Child Support Enforcement The court will direct you to an approved facility, so you do not need to pick one yourself.
When the state child support agency brings the case, the agency usually pays for the test up front, though those costs can be recouped from the father if paternity is established. In a private dispute between parents, the judge decides who pays.
What It Costs
- At-home paternity kit: roughly $200 to $300 all-in, including any separate lab processing fee charged at registration.
- Legal paternity test at an accredited facility: $300 to $500 or more, including the professional collection and chain-of-custody documentation. Some national labs charge upwards of $525.6Labcorp. Paternity Testing
- Prenatal paternity test: $675 and up, reflecting the extra work of isolating fetal DNA from the mother’s blood.
- Rush processing: available at many labs for an added fee, typically returning results within 24 hours of sample receipt.
Testing extra relatives (a grandparent or sibling, when the alleged father is unavailable), international shipping, and the specific lab you choose can push the cost higher.
How the Test Works and How Long It Takes
Nearly all paternity tests use a buccal swab, a soft-tipped stick rubbed along the inside of the cheek for about 30 seconds. It is painless and safe for infants. For a legal test, the collector handles and seals the swabs in front of you. For an at-home kit, you follow the included instructions.
The lab compares genetic markers between the child and the alleged parent and reports a probability. If the tested man is not the biological father, the result is 0%. If he is, the probability is typically reported at 99.9% or higher.7National Institute of Justice. Probability of Paternity Most major labs return results within three to five business days after receiving the samples, whether the test is legal or at-home.8Labcorp. How DNA Testing Works That clock starts when samples arrive at the lab, not when you drop them in the mail.
Consent to Test a Child
Testing a minor requires consent from the child’s legal guardian. In most situations, either parent with legal custody can authorize it. If one parent refuses, the other can petition the family court for an order compelling the test. Judges generally grant these requests when there is a reasonable basis for the claim. Rules vary by state, so check your local family court’s procedures before scheduling.
If the Test Is for Immigration
Immigration DNA testing follows a stricter process. The lab must be AABB-accredited, and the petitioner must contact the lab directly, without any third-party intermediary.9U.S. Department of State. DNA Relationship Testing Procedures The lab sends the testing kit directly to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the beneficiary will be tested, and results go directly from the lab back to the embassy. You should never handle the kit yourself or have it mailed to your home. Consular officers require a probability of at least 99.5% to accept the test as evidence of a parent-child relationship. Costs are paid by the petitioner or beneficiary, not the government.
If You Need to Test Before Birth
You do not have to wait until the child is born. A non-invasive prenatal paternity test can be done as early as the eighth week of pregnancy using a blood draw from the mother, which contains traces of fetal DNA, compared with a cheek swab from the alleged father. The procedure poses no risk to the pregnancy, and accuracy is reported at 99.9% or higher. Older invasive methods, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, involve inserting a needle into the uterus and carry a small risk of miscarriage; they remain in use for broader genetic screening when medically necessary, but the blood-draw test has largely replaced them for paternity questions alone.10National Library of Medicine. Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling for Prenatal Diagnosis Not every lab offers rush processing on prenatal cases, so ask when you book.