Home Paternity Test
What is a DNA Paternity Test?
Paternity refers to fatherhood. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. Your DNA are the genes you inherit from your mother and father. A paternity test is a DNA-based analysis that determines whether a man is the biological father of a child. The collection of DNA is very easy. It involves gently rubbing a cotton swab on the inside of the cheek to collect cells containing DNA from both the child and the alleged father.
The test compares specific genetic markers from the child with those of the alleged father. The result proves a man is a child’s father if there is a match of 23 or more markers. If fewer than 23 markers match, then it is not scientifically possible for him to be the biological father. Home paternity tests have become a popular and accessible option for anyone wanting answers about their paternity.
Home Paternity Test Accuracy
We guarantee that our paternity test is 100% accurate.
When conducted accurately and in our lab, home paternity tests can provide clear answers. Our test that looks at the DNA has become the most trusted way to prove if people are related by blood. Lots of people, like lawyers, doctors, and regular folks, have used our test to check if someone is the dad. We have established our reputation based on our exceptional accuracy and unwavering trustworthiness. Our paternity test will always give you a clear “YES” or “NO” answer.
LEARN: Some DNA tests are more accurate than others.
Our at-home paternity test utilizes the same specialized technology and follows the rigorous protocols employed in our accredited laboratories for legal paternity tests. These tests follow the AABB lab rules. The only distinction is that we don’t require a third party to oversee the handling of samples or necessitate an additional fee for sample collection by someone else.
Our private paternity test uses 24 markers, which are like special clues in the DNA, instead of the usual 16 markers other tests use. This makes the test almost 1,000 times better at giving accurate results. We do each test two times to make sure we get the right answer about if the dad is really the child’s biological dad.
Why You May Need A Paternity Test
According to the most recent statistics available on DNA testing in the United States, thousands of men take paternity tests each year to confirm their biological relationship with children. These statistics show that up to 34% of paternity test results indicate that the tested man is not the biological father. That’s 1 out of every 3 men who take a paternity test!
Many people have taken an ancestry test and think they may have found unknown family members. The only way to know for sure, though, is to take a person-to-person DNA test. Finding out about paternity doesn’t just mean you have to test a father and child. You can still do what we refer to as “indirect” paternity tests. You can test the father’s brother or sister for an avuncular DNA test, or his parents in a grandparent DNA test. Furthermore, you can also test possible half siblings by doing a sibling DNA test.
Using an Accredited DNA Laboratory
Choosing an accredited DNA laboratory is vital to guaranteeing precise and trustworthy outcomes. Accredited labs follow rigorous quality standards and have skilled experts who manage samples and carry out the analysis.
DNA laboratories should be accredited for several important reasons. Firstly, accreditation ensures that our lab follow strict quality standards, which means they do accurate and reliable work. When a lab is accredited, it means they have been reviewed and approved by experts who make sure they use the best methods and equipment. This helps make sure that our DNA test results are trustworthy and can be used in important situations like proving paternity.
Secondly, accreditation helps protect the rights and privacy of individuals. Since our DNA lab is accredited, it means we follow the rules and regulations that protect your personal information and ensure that the tests are done fairly. Accreditation also helps prevent mistakes and mix-ups, making sure that the right information is connected to the right people. Accreditation is good for everyone because it makes sure they do their job well and keep your information safe.
HELPFUL RESOURCE: Why AABB accreditation is important in DNA testing.
The Difference Between Legal Testing and Home Testing
Although our DNA test results are completely accurate, it’s important to note that home paternity test results cannot be used as evidence in a court of law. This restriction exists because of worries about the reliability of sample collection and maintaining proper custody of the samples. When it comes to legal matters, paternity testing must adhere to strict guidelines and be conducted in an accredited laboratory to produce results that can be presented as evidence in court.
In legal paternity testing, there’s a process known as the “chain of custody.” This involves an unbiased third party collecting the samples. This guarantees their reliability and appropriateness for court presentation. However, home paternity tests, despite being convenient and cost-effective for personal use, are not admissible as legal evidence in a court of law. A home paternity test kit usually contains buccal swabs, consent forms, instructions for collecting samples, and a prepaid return envelope to send the samples back to the lab. Since there is not someone who does not know you verifying who you are when collecting your DNA, a home test is not usually able to be used in court.
Advantages Of Using A Home DNA Test Kit
- Privacy: Home paternity tests offer a private way to handle paternity questions from your own home.
- Convenience: Taking DNA samples is easy and gentle, without needing a clinic visit.
- Affordability: Home paternity kits cost less than lab tests, so more people can use them.
- Peace of Mind: Quick, accurate results bring comfort to everyone involved. Home kits keep things private and free from others’ opinions.
- Discreet Shipping: Kits come in plain packaging to keep things confidential.
- Fast Results: Our at-home tests usually give results in just ONE business day.
- Confidentiality: Home kits keep things private, so you don’t need to tell anyone else.
- Secret: You can also test other things like hair or a toothbrush.
If you think you might need to use the results for any legal reason, learn more by clicking on Legal Paternity Test.
Discreet & Secret Paternity Testing
Sometimes you want to know the answer, but it can be difficult to have the conversation with the other person. In those situations, you may want to use a DNA sample that is not a mouth swab. When you need a discrete, private paternity test, you do not have to obtain consent for testing either the alleged father or the child when performing a non-legal test. The results are only provided to the person who orders the test, unless specific written instructions to release the test results to other individuals is provided to us.
SEE ALSO: What items can I use to do a DNA test instead of a mouth swab
How Much Does A Paternity DNA Test Cost?
- 1 Father and 1 Child – $109.00
- Additional Possible Fathers (each) – $75.00
- Additional Children (each) – $75.00
- Alternative DNA Sample (each) – $100.00
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 will also send you a pre-paid overnight return label.
Paternity Test Results
DNA testing starts as soon as all needed samples reach the lab. If one sample arrives before others, it’s kept in a controlled area until all samples are there. Then, they’re matched and given to technicians for DNA extraction and amplification.
The latest equipment speeds up this process. Samples arriving by 10:00 AM EST start processing the same day. We’ll email you when testing begins.
Results arrive in your email within ONE business day after all samples are in the lab*. No extra cost for this fast service.
*Note: If we’re testing something other than a mouth swab for paternity, we’ll check viability first. This ensures enough DNA for the test. Viability testing takes 2-5 business days.
Why Choose Journey Genetic Testing For Your At-Home DNA Test
- Simple Ordering and Fast Shipping! Our DNA kits are tailored to your needs and sent out the same business day.
- Painless DNA Collection Made Easy! Clear instructions make using the cheek swabs for DNA collection simple and pain-free.
- Quick Lab Processing! As soon as we receive all the DNA samples in the lab, testing starts on the same day. We’ll email you to keep you informed.
- Confidential and Easy-to-Understand Results! We’ll email you a PDF report that’s written in words anyone can understand. If you prefer, we can also provide printed copies.
Most Often Asked Questions About Paternity Testing
You may be concerned that your DNA sample could be used to discover a whole range of things about you. We want to reassure you that our DNA paternity testing will not lead to this. The DNA sample collected for our paternity test exclusively serves the purpose of paternity testing. Furthermore, you can have confidence that information concerning your case is given only to authorized individuals.
The DNA sample is removed during the testing process, and all personal information is deleted from our system within 30 days after delivering the results to you. We will never sell your personal DNA information, or provide it to any other individual, company, lab, or private or government database.
Our informational home paternity DNA test provides you 100% accurate answers from the comfort of your home. If your are in need of a Legal paternity DNA test, we have 3,500+ DNA centers in the USA. All legal collection are by appointment only, and we most likely have a location close to your home or office.
Not usually. You should probably not do a home paternity test if you need results for child support, custody, or any other legal reason. Courts typically require results from a legal DNA test with a maintained chain-of-custody process for acceptance. However, a judge may decide what evidence they find valid. If you have specific legal concerns, we recommend consulting an attorney before proceeding. We are willing to collaborate with an attorney of your choice to facilitate any required testing.
Yes, this is very common. We can send paternity test kits to two different addresses. There is an option to list a second address on our online form.
Each kit will share the same case number and are matched up in lab once all the samples arrive. If one sample arrives first, then we just store that in a way to keep the sample safe until the other sample(s) arrive.
We will notify you once all samples have arrived and testing begins.
Yes! Cheek-swab samples are the industry standard for this type of test. Cheek swabs make DNA extraction by our lab’s robots easy, which is one way to keep costs lower for our customers.
If you intend to provide an alternative DNA sample like a toothbrush, ear wax on swabs, or fingernail clippings, please be aware that there is a non-refundable fee of $100 necessary to assess the sample’s viability before testing.
If two possible fathers are related as full brothers, or father and son, they may share many of the DNA markers used in paternity testing. This means that if the laboratory is not aware of these relationships, both men could test positive as the child’s biological father. DNA testing is strong enough to determine paternity in a case involving closely-related fathers. However, it is best if we are told about these situations before the testing process commences.
Journey Genetic Testing offers two options for cases involving possible fathers who are related:
Option 1: Test both fathers, the child, and the mother at the same time. Expert laboratory staff can obtain definitive test results by comparing the DNA profiles of both fathers with the child’s DNA. There is an added fee for the additional father.
Option 2: Test one father with extended analysis. This option is for when only one of the fathers is available for testing. To produce a conclusive result, we must perform extended testing and statistical analysis. There is an additional fee for the extended testing and analysis.
No, an ancestry DNA test can only identify possible DNA matches. Only a direct paternity test can conclusively establish a match between a father and child’s DNA.
Yes. Close to 98% of our paternity testing involves solely the DNA samples of the father and the child.
Yes. There are a few options available to do DNA testing.
First, if an autopsy was conducted, the Medical Examiner may have a blood or tissue sample from the deceased. This may be able to be used for a paternity test. In addition, paternity testing can also be done using an “alternative sample” containing the alleged father’s DNA. Examples can be items like blood, hair, finger nails, toe nails, toothbrush, etc.
Additionally, we can conduct a test utilizing a parent of the alleged father, known as a Grandparent DNA test. Furthermore, we can perform an Avuncular DNA test by testing a sibling of the alleged father.It is also possible to test two or more possible siblings who suspect they share the same mother (Full Sibling test) or only believe they share the same biological father (Half Sibling test).
Our Genetic Consultants can provide additional information. Call us at 1-855-362-5224 or email us at info@dna-paternity-testing.com.
The potential father and child swab the inside of their cheeks for buccal (cheek) cells. You mail the cotton swab applicators to our lab. After all your samples have reached the lab the testing starts.
The analyzed genetic loci contain DNA sequences referred to as short tandem repeats (STRs), which are short, repeating DNA units. These STRs have a variable number of repeats at each genetic locus, inherited from their biological parents. Every individual has two genetic markers, known as alleles, for each genetic locus. They inherit one allele from their biological mother and the other from their biological father.
The test result report includes the allele sizes (number of repeats) for the mother (if tested), child, and alleged father at each genetic locus.
If the test includes just the child and the alleged father and they lack shared alleles at three or more loci, it rules out the alleged father. However, if the alleged father matches at 22 or more markers, he’s the biological father. These genetic results serve as the basis for calculating and reporting the probability of paternity.
The cost of a paternity test is $119. There are no extra fees.