A personal test is for your own peace of mind and is not intended for legal proceedings. A legal test is for matters that may require court or official use — such as child support, custody, paternity establishment, birth certificate matters where applicable, inheritance, or other proceedings. Legal testing follows a documented chain of custody, with photo identification verified and the collection conducted under controlled conditions.

If you think your results might be needed for a legal matter, now or in the future, select legal. If you only need personal knowledge, select personal.

Not usually. A conclusive result can normally be reached with the child and the alleged father alone. Including the mother strengthens the statistical power of the report and reduces the chance of an inconclusive result, which is why we often recommend it.

Laboratory analysis takes 2 to 3 business days from the moment the final sample arrives at the laboratory. Before that, your case needs to be reviewed, appointments scheduled for every participant, and samples shipped. Most families should plan on one to two weeks from opening a case to holding a report.

No. It is a soft cotton swab rubbed against the inside of the cheek for a few seconds. It is not a blood draw and it does not hurt. We collect from newborns regularly.

Your sample is destroyed by the laboratory 60 days after an informational result is released, and 180 days after a legal one. It is analysed only for the relationship you asked about — never for health, ancestry or research — and it is not added to any database. If you want it destroyed sooner, the laboratory requires a notarized letter; call us and we will help you word it. Full detail on our Privacy Policy.

It happens more often than people expect, which is why we ask every adult participant to give their own consent early — before you have paid for anything. If someone declines, we will tell you promptly and discuss your options, which may include an aunt and uncle test, a grandparent test, or a court order.

No. A test you collect yourself has no documented chain of custody, so a court has no way to know whose samples were submitted. For any legal purpose — child support, custody, birth certificates, inheritance, benefits — you need a legal test, where a trained collector verifies photo identification and witnesses the collection. We offer both; tell us the purpose and we will tell you which one you need.

Not usually. A conclusive result can normally be reached with the child and the alleged father alone. Including the mother strengthens the statistical power of the report and reduces the chance of an inconclusive result, which is why we often recommend it.

Laboratory analysis takes 2 to 3 business days from the moment the final sample arrives at the laboratory. Before that, your case needs to be reviewed, appointments scheduled for every participant, and samples shipped. Most families should plan on one to two weeks from opening a case to holding a report.

No. It is a soft cotton swab rubbed against the inside of the cheek for a few seconds. It is not a blood draw and it does not hurt. We collect from newborns regularly.

Your sample is destroyed by the laboratory 60 days after an informational result is released, and 180 days after a legal one. It is analysed only for the relationship you asked about — never for health, ancestry or research — and it is not added to any database. If you want it destroyed sooner, the laboratory requires a notarized letter; call us and we will help you word it. Full detail on our Privacy Policy.

It happens more often than people expect, which is why we ask every adult participant to give their own consent early — before you have paid for anything. If someone declines, we will tell you promptly and discuss your options, which may include an aunt and uncle test, a grandparent test, or a court order.