You can get a paternity test at a local drug store, through an online kit shipped to your home, at a walk-in DNA collection site, or at a professional laboratory. The right choice depends on whether you need results for personal knowledge or for a legal proceeding like a custody case, child support dispute, or immigration application.
Home Test Kits vs. Legal Tests
The two main categories of paternity tests are “peace of mind” home tests and legal, court-admissible tests. They use the same DNA science and are equally accurate, but they differ in how samples are collected and documented.
A home paternity test typically costs $130 to $200. You buy a kit at a pharmacy or order one online, swab the inside of each person’s cheek, and mail the samples to a lab. Results usually come back within a few business days. These results are for your own knowledge only. No court will accept them because there’s no way to verify who actually provided the samples.
A legal paternity test costs $300 to $500. The key difference is “chain of custody,” meaning a neutral third party collects the samples, verifies everyone’s identity with government-issued photo ID, photographs each participant, and seals the samples with tamper-evident packaging. This documentation makes the results admissible in court. You cannot collect samples yourself for a legal test.
Where to Buy a Home Test Kit
Home paternity test kits are sold at most major pharmacies and big-box retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Rite Aid. The kit on the shelf typically includes cheek swabs and a prepaid mailer. You pay the retail price for the kit, then a separate lab processing fee when you register and send in your samples. Several companies also sell kits directly through their websites and ship them to your door.
One important exception: New York state requires written informed consent before any genetic test can be performed on a person’s biological sample. Performing a genetic test without that consent is a violation punishable by a civil fine up to $1,000, and willful violations can result in a fine up to $5,000 or up to 90 days in jail. If you live in New York, you’ll need to go through an authorized provider rather than simply ordering an over-the-counter kit.
Where to Get a Legal Paternity Test
For court-admissible results, you need to visit an accredited collection site. The most widely recognized accreditation comes from the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks). AABB-accredited facilities are also the only ones accepted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for immigration-related cases.
Major accredited laboratories include DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC), Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp), DNA Solutions, and Universal Forensics Corporation. These organizations operate their own collection sites and also partner with thousands of smaller clinics, hospitals, and mobile collectors across the country. When you schedule a legal test through one of these labs, they’ll direct you to the nearest authorized collection location, which could be a medical office, a dedicated testing center, or even your local health department.
Some family courts and child support enforcement agencies arrange testing directly. If a judge orders a paternity test, the court clerk’s office will typically provide a list of approved local labs or schedule the appointment for you. In child support cases initiated through a state agency, the state often covers the cost of testing or advances it and seeks reimbursement from the party found to be the father.
How Paternity Testing Works
The standard method is a buccal (cheek) swab. A cotton-tipped applicator is rubbed along the inside of the cheek for about 30 seconds to collect cells. It’s painless and takes under a minute per person. Both the child and the potential father need to provide samples. Including the mother’s sample isn’t required, but it can strengthen the statistical analysis.
The lab compares specific markers in the DNA. If the tested man is the biological father, results typically show a “probability of paternity” of 99% or higher. If he is not the father, the test excludes him with 100% certainty. A 99% probability means there is a 99% chance the tested man is the biological father and a 1% chance the match occurred randomly.
Prenatal Paternity Testing
You don’t have to wait until the baby is born. A noninvasive prenatal paternity test (NIPP) can be performed as early as the eighth week of pregnancy. The test works by analyzing fragments of fetal DNA that naturally circulate in the mother’s bloodstream. A standard blood draw from the mother and a cheek swab from the potential father are all that’s needed.
Prenatal testing is more expensive than postnatal testing, often running $1,000 or more, and fewer labs offer it. The noninvasive version carries no risk to the pregnancy because it requires only a blood sample from the mother’s arm, unlike older methods that involved inserting a needle into the uterus.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
For a legal test, every participant needs a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. For children too young to have ID, a birth certificate or Social Security card is typically accepted. The collector will also photograph each person and have everyone sign consent forms. If a minor is being tested, the legal guardian must provide consent and be present during sample collection.
For a home test, you don’t need any documentation. Just follow the instructions in the kit, register your samples online or by phone, and mail them to the lab.
How Long Results Take
Most labs return home test results in two to five business days after receiving your samples. Legal tests generally take three to seven business days because of the additional verification steps. Rush processing is available from many labs for an extra fee, sometimes delivering results in as little as one business day. Results are typically delivered through a secure online portal, with paper copies mailed for legal tests.
Choosing the Right Option
If you just want an answer for yourself, a home kit from your local pharmacy is the fastest and cheapest route. If you need results for any legal purpose, including custody, child support, inheritance disputes, updating a birth certificate, or immigration, you need a legal test with chain-of-custody documentation from an accredited lab. Starting with the wrong type means paying twice, because a home test cannot be upgraded to a legal test after the fact. The samples have to be recollected under proper supervision.