7 At-Home Paternity Test To Help Put Your Mind At Ease

My Forever DNA offers comprehensive paternity testing services to meet a variety of needs: It ships multiple tests to multiple locations, offers court-admissible results, and you can take alternative DNA samples if you want to keep the test confidential from the child or possible father until you know the results. You can also test multiple kids at once.  

An easy online ordering form allows you to select which of these features you’d like to be included in your kit. The kit will include the necessary materials to collect DNA samples depending on who you’d like to be a part of the test (mother, children, potential fathers). My Forever DNA prepares your personalized kit and mails it to you. Once you collect the DNA samples required, you send the samples back to the My Forever DNA lab with prepaid postage. According to the website, each test analyzes 34 genetic markers to verify paternity. Results are delivered within one to three business days after the samples are received.

If you are looking for fast results, you can choose the Make-Your-Own-Kit testing option. This option allows you to skip the wait for a mailed test to arrive and collect the DNA samples immediately using step-by-step instructions sent via email after your register for the test. My Forever DNA will also send kits to two different locations if the parties involved in DNA testing live in different areas. 

The My Forever DNA test kit (which supplies materials for DNA collection) is $139. You pay a flat fee of $99 for the DIY option. 

The DNA Paternity test offered by DNA Direct Solutions gives you the ability to test up to six children at a time. As with most standard paternity testing kits, each test kit comes with everything you need to take a DNA sample for one parent and one child via a cheek swab. What sets this test apart is that when ordering the test, you can also add testing materials for up to six children for $35 each. Upon completing the tests you will package your samples and, using the prepaid postage, send the samples to an Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) & International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17025 accredited laboratory. 

Results are delivered electronically via email, though hard copies are available upon request. If you need fast results, the company offers next-day results for $150 and results in under 24 hours for $300. DNA Direct ships to all 50 states in a discreet package to protect your privacy.

HomeDNA Paternity provides a great paternity test option for people who decide to test spontaneously and who want fast results. The test kit is sold in pharmacies and other retailers for about $15 to $30. So if you decide to test on the spur of the moment, you can pick up a kit and send off samples the very same day. 

Each sample, which compares 15 to 17 DNA markers, is tested twice by two different lab teams to guarantee accurate results. The results are then reviewed and signed off on by a Ph.D. scientist trained in paternity testing. 

Once you’ve swabbed the cheeks of the child and possible parent, you can ship the kit to the lab for analysis, along with a payment of roughly $139. That fee can also be paid online at HomeDNA’s website, where you register your test kit in order to view results digitally.

If you use the prepaid envelope provided in the kit, HomeDNA cautions that it can take seven to 10 days to reach the lab. After that, your results will be posted online in two business days. However, if you want faster results, you can pay extra to have the sample shipped overnight, plus pay an additional processing fee that will give you results 24 hours later. 

Paternity Depot offers the flexibility that complex family dynamics sometimes require: you can test paternity discreetly using DNA from hair clippings, used tissues, or other items that might be easier to obtain when a possible parent won’t consent to a cheek swab. You’re also able to test multiple children or multiple parents, and it is possible to ship test kits to two or more different locations. You can get your results by phone, email, mail, or fax, delivered in English, Spanish, or French.

In addition to offering an easy-to-use test, Paternity Depot offers many services some competitors lack. Each sample is analyzed twice by a team led by doctorate-level scientists with training in paternity testing. 

Many at-home paternity tests are not available to New York residents because of state regulations, but Paternity Depot is able to serve New Yorkers because it has offices in the state. 

Labcorp is a well-known and reliable source for both at-home paternity tests and legally admissible paternity tests. You can take them at one of its 1,900 facilities in the U.S., and more than 13,000 contracted locations globally. Legal paternity testing starts at $525 and includes the necessary components needed to follow the legal chain of custody procedures. Legal paternity testing requires an in-person appointment with a valid government-issued ID.

When ordering a court-admissible paternity test from Labcorp, you can either make the appointment yourself or request that a representative reach out to you for scheduling. Additionally, DNA tests for relationship testing, such as grandparent tests, aunt/uncle tests, and sibling tests are also available. 

The standard at-home paternity test from Labcorp starts at $210, and the base kit includes sample collection supplies for one mother, one potential father, and one child.

Genovate’s at-home DNA paternity test offers testing for a variety of combinations (children, suspected father, mother) in its kits. The process is easily completed like many other at-home paternity tests: Order the kit online, collect samples, and mail them back to a lab, then receive the results online.

In total, Genovate offers 39 tests in various categories, including relationships, health and disease, diet and fitness, behavior and traits, diagnostics, and ancestry. Genovate also offers a legal version of its at-home paternity test, but it requires an additional fee and an in-person appointment for sample collection. All of Genovate’s tests can be ordered online. Unfortunately, we cannot speak to the number of genetic markers tested as it is not disclosed.

At $99, the Home Paternity DNA Collection Kit is relatively affordable compared to other tests on this list. Plus it has a fast turnaround and high accuracy thanks to the double-check testing procedure that processes each test twice. The kit also features free shipping, fast results (two to three days after sample processing), and discretion. The company focuses specifically on paternity testing, so other types of relationship tests aren’t available. But accuracy is paramount. A standard kit includes sample collection materials for one possible father, one child, and the birthing parent; including the mother is optional. You can order materials for additional children and additional possible fathers for a fee.

Home Paternity uses the DNA Diagnostic Center (DDC) for all of its testing. The lab has more than 20 years of experience specifically with paternity testing as well as a healthy list of certifications and accreditations. The DDC uses automated testing to minimize the chance for error, and was the first American lab to normalize repeating the paternity test to ensure accuracy.