At-home paternity test

Swab cheeks at home, mail the kit back, and get the lab's result by email.

Who takes part
The child and the possible father. The mother is optional.
Samples
Cheek swabs, a few seconds each
Kit
Mailed to you, then mailed to the lab
Result
By email
Court use
No. For court, choose the legal test.

How it works

  1. Order online and tell us who is taking part.
  2. The kit arrives with swabs and an envelope for each person.
  3. Rub a swab inside each person's cheek, let it dry, and seal it in that person's envelope.
  4. Mail the samples to the lab.
  5. The report comes by email.

Getting a good sample

  • No eating, drinking or smoking for an hour before swabbing.
  • For a baby, swab at least an hour after a feed.
  • Let the swabs air-dry before sealing them. Damp swabs can grow mold.
  • Check the names before sealing: one person, one envelope.

Home test or legal test?

At-home testLegal test
Who takes the swabsYouA neutral collector, at an appointment
ID checkedNoYes
The lab's DNA workThe sameThe same
Accepted by courts and agenciesNoYes

Who can take part

The child and the possible father. The mother is optional, but her sample makes the result stronger. Every adult tested must agree, and a parent or legal guardian consents for a child. See consent.

Questions

Is a home test as accurate as a legal test?

For the DNA itself, yes: the lab work is the same. What a home test lacks is proof of who gave each sample, which is what a court needs.

Can I test a newborn?

Yes. A cheek swab works at any age and doesn't hurt.

Can I use the result in court later?

No. A court needs a legal test with a witnessed collection from the start, so you would take a new, legal test.

Can I order from New York?

Not a home test. New York's Department of Health requires a witnessed collection for paternity tests of New York residents, so choose the legal test.

Guides for this test

  • How to do a home paternity testRub a swab inside each person's cheek, let the swabs dry, seal them in labeled envelopes and mail them to the lab. The lab compares the DNA and reports whether the man is the father.
  • How long does a paternity test take to come back?Most labs report results 1 to 3 business days after the last sample reaches them. Mailing a home kit, booking a legal collection or testing during pregnancy adds time.
  • How do you read paternity test results?Look first at the probability of paternity and the conclusion. A result of 0% means the man tested is excluded as the biological father; 99% or more, backed by a large combined paternity index, means he is very likely the father.

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