Grandparent DNA Test

What Is A DNA Grandparent Test?

Grandparent DNA testing is an advanced genetic science that helps determine the biological relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren. A grandparent DNA test can help prove who a child’s father is when the father can’t do a paternity test. When this is the case, at least one of the suspected father’s parents must be willing to use their DNA. In this process, we compare the DNA to a potential grandchild. To find out if their son is the child’s father, people use an at-home grandparent DNA test kit.

Parents give half of their DNA to their children, making up their genetic profile. The child gets half of their DNA from their mom and half from their dad. When the child becomes a parent, they also pass down half of their DNA to their own child. So, we can figure out that 25% of a grandchild’s DNA comes from each grandparent.

Sometimes, both grandparents and even the child’s mom want to be part of a grandparent DNA test to prove paternity. But there are times when the other grandparent or the mom can’t take the test. When you use the DNA of just one grandparent, there’s less information available for comparing with the child’s DNA.. We have taken this into consideration in our process. Journey uses at least 24 genetic markers for our testing instead the usual 16 markers. This gives the strongest results.

How Accurate Is A Grandparent DNA Test?

All of our testing results are 100% accurate when they are provided to you.

Our DNA grandparentage process begins with a base of 24 genetic markers. If we cannot obtain a conclusive result at that level, we will automatically enhance the number of markers examined in your DNA samples, potentially up to 46 markers. It’s important to note that there is no extra charge for this adjustment, even if additional tests are needed alongside the grandparent test. We refrain from releasing reports until the laboratory is confident that the most accurate results have been achieved. All grandparent DNA test results undergo a thorough review by a Ph.D. expert, who confirms the findings and signs the report.

Prove Paternity With Grandparents

A paternity test is referred to as an “exclusionary” DNA test. What this means is that the result provides a yes or no answer to the question if a man is a biological father of a child. The Grandparent DNA test, since it does not test the father and child directly, has the results are based on the statistical probability. Your report will show a probability that the relationship exists. The probability is stated as a percentage in the DNA results report. This percentage ranges from 0% to 99.99%+. Rest assured that the probability presented in your relationship description is guaranteed to be 100% accurate.

It’s a good idea to add the mom’s DNA if possible. This way, we can remove her DNA from the test. But if the mom’s sample isn’t there, or you don’t want to use it for privacy reasons, we can still do the test. We’ll just adjust how we do it, using only the grandparent(s) and the grandchild. Sometimes we need to examine additional DNA, and this may take an additional day.

Home Grandparent DNA Test Kit

We have two types of grandparent testing: one for legal reasons and another for doing it privately at home. The private test gives the same results as the legal one. The only difference is that it doesn’t have the official proof of identity needed for court.

Our at-home kit for grandparent DNA testing has four simple mouth swabs. These swabs are created to collect a small DNA sample from each person, and they are entirely painless. The cells in the swab have lots of genetic information called DNA inside them. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. We rush ship our kit to you by USPS Priority mail. They usually arrive in 1-3 business days, depending on where you live. Need us to send more than one kit to different addresses? Just indicate that when you place your order. More than half of our tests involve individuals who are located in different places.

We will provide you detailed instructions for using the mouth swabs (painless and quick). In addition we will also provide you with a prepaid overnight FedEx label to return the samples to our lab. You will be notified when they all arrive. Testing starts once everyone’s DNA is in the lab.

Legal Grandparent Testing

Many people frequently ask if the results of home tests can serve as evidence in a court of law. Although the results from at-home DNA tests are entirely accurate, they are generally not admissible as evidence in court. In a legal setting, it’s essential to follow particular procedures for a test to be accepted as evidence. This is primarily due to the absence of a well-documented chain of custody for the DNA samples.

• Collected from an independent DNA collector not known to those testing;
• To verify the identities of the individuals undergoing testing, it’s crucial to establish a thorough chain of custody.
• Tested and reported from an AABB accredited lab;
• The custodial parent or legal guardian will need to give written consent.

To learn more about a legal DNA test, just click on Legal Grandparent Test.

How Much Does A Grandparent DNA Test Cost?

ADDITIONAL: Why DNA Prices Vary So Much

If you prefer not to receive a kit for privacy or other reasons, you can make your own kit. We’ll email you a case number and step-by-step instructions to collect and send your DNA samples to our lab for processing. If you are in the U.S.A. we also provide an overnight return label for your DNA sample.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Our Most Often Asked Questions About Grandparent DNA Testing