How to do a home paternity test

Rub 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.

Updated November 14, 2026

It takes a few minutes and doesn't hurt. The kit has swabs and an envelope for each person: Labcorp's has four swabs per person and HomeDNA's three. The child and the possible father take part. The mother is optional, though DNA Diagnostics Center recommends including her.

Before you start

  • Everyone agrees. Every adult tested must consent, and a parent or legal guardian consents for a child. In Florida, testing someone's DNA without their consent is a crime under section 817.5655 of the state's statutes.
  • No one has just brushed their teeth. Cleveland Clinic suggests waiting at least an hour after brushing teeth, using mouthwash, putting in dentures, smoking or chewing tobacco. Follow your kit's own rules on eating and drinking.

Step by step

  1. Register the kit or fill in its form, as the instructions say, and write each person's name on their envelope.
  2. Open one swab at a time and hold it by the stick. Keep the cotton tip away from everything except the inside of the cheek.
  3. Rub the swab inside the cheek. DNA Diagnostics Center asks for a full 30 seconds per swab, away from the gums.
  4. Let damp swabs dry in the air before you seal them. DNA Diagnostics Center suggests waving a wet swab for a minute or two.
  5. Put each person's swabs in their own paper envelope. One person, one envelope.
  6. Mail the envelopes to the lab. HomeDNA says its prepaid envelope takes 7 to 10 business days, and that an express courier is fastest.
  7. Get the result online or by email. Most labs list 1 to 3 business days after the samples arrive.

See how long a paternity test takes for each stage.

How does a home paternity test work?

The swabs pick up cells from the inside of the cheek, and those cells carry DNA. A child inherits half of their DNA from each biological parent, Cleveland Clinic explains. The lab reads a set of markers, places in the DNA where people differ, for the child and the possible father. At each marker the child has two versions, one from each parent, and the biological father carries the child's paternal version at every one. If the man lacks it at several markers, he is not the father.

The report gives a probability of paternity. Cleveland Clinic says it is usually 0, meaning he is not the father, or 99.9, meaning he very likely is. See how to read paternity test results.

Are home paternity tests accurate?

The lab work is the same as for a legal test: DNA Diagnostics Center says its lab processes are identical for home and legal tests, and the results just as accurate. Cleveland Clinic is more cautious. It says home results may not be as accurate, and suggests a test that reads more markers than the industry standard of 16.

Accuracy depends on two things:

  • The lab. Ask how many markers it tests, and check that it is on AABB's list of accredited labs.
  • The samples. Swapped envelopes or a swab that touched something else can give a wrong answer. And no one checks who gave each sample, which is why courts don't accept home results.

See can a paternity test be wrong.

Are at-home DNA tests accurate?

"At-home DNA test" also covers ancestry and health kits sold straight to consumers, which are a different product. MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, notes that few regulations cover them, so it is worth checking the quality of the company. A home paternity kit is a way to collect samples for a relationship-testing lab, and that lab is what to check.

What a home test can't do

  • It can't be used in court, for child support or on a birth certificate, and it can't be upgraded after the swabs are taken. If you may need one of those, start with a legal test.
  • It isn't for immigration cases. The petitioner arranges those directly with an AABB-accredited lab.
  • It isn't available in New York. Cleveland Clinic notes that the state's Department of Health doesn't allow home paternity tests.

For a private answer, see how the at-home paternity test works, from the kit to the report.

Questions

Can I do a home paternity test without the mother?

Yes. Her sample is optional, though DNA Diagnostics Center recommends it and calls it essential when two possible fathers are related.

Can I swab a newborn?

Yes. A cheek swab works for babies and doesn't hurt.

Can I seal the swabs in a plastic bag?

Use the paper envelopes that come with the kit, and let wet swabs dry first, as DNA Diagnostics Center advises.

Sources

Related guides

  • 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.
  • Can a paternity test be wrong?Rarely, and most often because of a sample problem, such as a mix-up or contamination, or because the man tested is closely related to the real father. Identical twins are the one case a standard test can't settle.
  • 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.