Legal paternity test

The test courts and agencies accept. A neutral collector checks everyone's ID, takes the samples and seals them for the lab.

Used for
Court cases, child support, custody, birth certificates, inheritance
Collection
An appointment at a collection site near each person
Bring
Photo ID for each adult
Lab
AABB-accredited
Result
A signed report, to the people tested and anyone they name

What makes it legal

The DNA testing is the same as in a home test. What a court needs is proof of who gave each sample. So in a legal test:

  • A neutral collector checks each person's photo ID and takes their photo.
  • The collector takes the cheek swabs.
  • The samples are sealed with tamper-evident tape and signed for.
  • The paperwork travels with the samples to an AABB-accredited lab, and every hand they pass through is recorded.

When you need one

  • A court or child support agency asks for proof of paternity
  • Custody or visitation
  • Adding the father to a birth certificate, or removing a man who is not the father
  • Inheritance and wills

Immigration cases are different: the petitioner arranges the test directly with an AABB-accredited lab. See immigration DNA tests.

Everyone tests near them

The child, the possible father and the mother don't need to be in the same place, or even the same state. Each goes to a collection site near them, and the lab brings the samples together.

What it costs

Legal paternity tests for a child and one possible father are priced from about $185 to $525 in the US, and some sellers add $25 to $75 per person for the collection. See how much a paternity test costs.

Questions

Does a court have to order it?

No. Both parties can agree to a private legal test. A court or child support agency can also order one. See court-ordered paternity tests.

Can a home test be turned into a legal one?

No. The collection has to be witnessed from the start.

What if the possible father won't take part?

A court can order a test. If he has died or can't be found, his relatives can test instead: see relationship tests.

Who receives the result?

The people tested, and anyone they name, such as their lawyer or the court.

Guides for this test

  • How do you get a court ordered paternity test?Ask the judge in your paternity, custody or support case, or your state's child support agency, to order genetic testing. If both parents agree to test, you don't need an order: a private legal test uses the same chain-of-custody collection.
  • How much is a paternity test?About $89 to $220 for a home test, $185 to $525 for a legal test with a witnessed collection, and $675 to $1,700 for a test during pregnancy. These are the starting prices US labs list online.
  • 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.

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