JUNE 23, 2017

Home Paternity Test: Your Top 7 Questions Answered

As one of the largest, most respected and accredited DNA testing labs in the world, we get a lot of questions every single day about the different types of tests we perform, including those that provide court-admissible results for paternity and paternity tests while pregnant. One of our most popular DNA tests is a home paternity test for peace-of-mind answers. And why not? It couldn’t be easier! You can order the kit by phone or online, collect DNA easily in the comfort of your living room, and then access results online. The whole process is secure and fast.

We’re always happy to answer your inquiries, but to save you a call, here are DDC’s Top 7 home paternity test questions, according to our on-site Customer Service team.

1. How Long Does It Take for Samples to Get to the Lab?

If you use the postage-paid envelope included as part of the kit, plan on samples taking up to 10 business days to arrive at our lab, no matter where in the U.S. you send them from. This envelope is included in the kit for the convenience of our customers who don’t want to pay extra to have them get to our lab sooner, but you certainly have the option to send them via 1^st class mail or a courier service such as FedEx or UPS if you’re in a hurry. If you do decide to pay extra for faster delivery, be sure to send samples to the following address, as indicated in your kit:

DDC Technology Park

1 DDC Way

Fairfield, OH 45014

Of course, if you are an international customer, mailing times depend on how you send samples and where you’re sending them from.

2. When Can I Expect to Get My Results?

The lab fee for 2017 kits is $119. That lab fee includes 1-day results once samples arrive at the lab, so you can expect that turnaround time. Keep in mind 1-day results means one business day; so if your samples arrive on a Friday, results would be posted the following Monday. Results are never posted over the weekend.

Exceptions: There are exceptions to 1-day results. Sometimes there are delays in posting the report, most often due to one of the following reasons:

• Additional testing is required in order to obtain conclusive results
• The mother didn’t participate in testing, but her DNA is needed to confirm results
• Samples are contaminated and new samples are needed to complete testing
• The customer did not complete paperwork correctly
• Payment has not been made in full (full payment is required before results can be posted)

Be assured we do everything we can to meet that 1-day turnaround time, but as a highly-accredited lab dedicated to ensuring accurate results, a slight delay may be necessary.

3. Who Can Get Results?

The decision-maker for a DNA test is the person who sets up the secure online account with us. For a home paternity test, only the decision-maker on the case gets access to online results or can call us with an inquiry about their test.

Why can’t others see results, even if they participated in the test? The reason is quite simply that—with a home test—we have no way of knowing whether or not the sample for a particular person actually belongs to the person whose name is on the sample envelope. That’s also why we don’t put names on the results report for a home test—only numbers for sample-identification purposes. If you want names on the results report, you should forego a home test and instead pay a little extra for a legal (chain of custody) paternity test with court-admissible results.

4. How Do I Get my Results?

Your results report for a home paternity test is posted online to your secure online account. For security reasons, results are not read over the phone nor can they be emailed to you. The decision-maker is welcome to request a hard-copy of the report, which can be mailed for a small fee.

5. What Do my Results Mean?

Due to accreditation guidelines, we must use legal language in our paternity test reports, and sometimes it can be hard to understand for our customers. So here is an explanation of how to interpret the language given:

IS EXCLUDED: Means that he cannot be the father because testing determined that he and the child do not share a biological parent/child relationship.

IS NOT EXCLUDED: Means that he is considered to be the biological father because testing determined that he and the child do share a biological parent/child relationship.

child do share a biological parent/child relationship.

GET MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE RESULTS REPORT HERE >

6. Can I Use the Kit to Test my Two Children with One Possible Father?

There are enough testing materials in a paternity-test kit to test three (3) people: the child, the possible father, and the mother. The lab fee is for these three people only. Since the mother’s participation is optional, you can use the extra set of materials to swab an additional child instead. If you use the kit to test two children and one possible father, contact us before sending your samples in so that your test can be set up properly. Keep in mind that a fee is applied for an additional tested party. 

7. Can I Use the Kit to Test with my Grandchild?

If you bought a paternity kit online or in a store, there are enough testing materials to test three (3) people: the child, the possible father, and the mother. The lab fee listed on the kit is for these three people only. Since the mother’s participation is optional, you can use the extra set of materials to swab a grandparent instead. If you use the kit to test a child and a grandparent, contact us before sending your samples in so that your test can be set up properly. Keep in mind that additional fees apply, and to optimize results, the mother of the child should also contribute her DNA.

Final Thoughts

Doing a paternity test is one can have life-changing consequences, so it’s important to get all your questions answered. If you’re unsure about anything related to which test might be best for you, how much it’s going to cost, or who should participate, feel free to reach out to one of our friendly customer-service specialists directly at 800-831-1904 (M-F, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Eastern Time).

About DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC)

DNA Diagnostic Center is the world leader in paternity and relationship testing. We serve healthcare professionals, government agencies, and individuals around the world to determine family relationships with trusted accuracy.

More Questions? Don’t hesitate to call us: we’re here to help!