Why take a home paternity test?
The benefit of this test is that it can be done from the comfort of your own home and results will be received in only 2 - 3 working days! We use a 23 genetic marker basis for your complete peace of mind. We recommend including the mother’s sample if available as this may help provide a stronger result.
Due to New York State Department of Health regulations, we cannot offer any peace of mind paternity or relationship tests to New York residents. Contact us or click here for more information.
Is a home test court admissible?
Your home test results are not court admissible which means they are entirely for your peace of mind but the result is just as accurate and reliable as a legal test result. This only reason home paternity test results are not accepted in court is because the sample collection is not performed according to the required chain of custody procedures.
What DNA samples can I use?
We keep things simple for you when it comes to sample collection and anything related to your test. Samples are collected with our home sample collection kit use buccal (oral) swabs. The kit sent to you contains the mouth swabs you need to quickly and easily collect samples in just a few basic steps. No professional assistance is required.
If for any reason you are unable to collect mouth swab samples, send us another type of DNA sample. Hair, toothbrushes and semen are just some examples of samples we can use. Please contact ahead of time for these types of samples, as they take extra time and do cost more.
A complete list of samples is available at our discreet sample list page.
Note: We can only guarantee standard result turnaround time when testing takes place solely using oral swab samples. Using a discreet sample for your test may lead to an increase in turnaround time.
How does the paternity test work?
We know that a child inherits half his or her DNA from their father (and the other half from their mother). Due to this law of genetic inheritance, if we look at specific DNA locations (which we call genetic loci or markers) on the DNA profile of the alleged father and the child, these DNA locations will be exactly the same, matching at every locus, if the tested father is the biological father. In our case we test for 23 genetic markers, these will need an exact match between every locus in order to confirm that the tested man is the biological father. Results will in such cases show a probability of paternity of 99.99%. If there are genetic markers which do not match, the results will show a probability of paternity of 0%.
Paternity Test FAQs
What samples can I use for a paternity test?
The sample used for a DNA test depends on the:
- The type of test being carried out
- The availability or willingness of individuals taking part in the test to submit samples
It is important to note that not all tests can be carried out using any type of DNA sample. Our standard method of sample collection is via mouth swabs- samples collected via mouth swabs can be used for home tests, legal tests and many other of the tests we offer.
Whilst PTL does carry out DNA tests with a range of samples such as hair samples and blood, these samples cannot be used for any test. For example, in legal testing, only mouth swabs can be used due to the fact that all samples need to be collected by a third party witness. Samples such as blood, hair, fingernails etc may sometimes be used in cases of postmortem testing whereby samples would be extracted by a forensic pathologist from the cadaver but the process is full of legality issues and not a straightforward one. Samples other than standard mouth swab samples we refer as discreet samples.
For any questions about DNA samples, contact us. We can guide you and answer all your questions exhaustively.
How are mouth swab samples collected?
Mouth swab samples are easy to collect. They are called mouth swab samples because they require clients actually use a swab – a medical pad often used in surgery or by doctors for various tests that looks pretty much like a cotton bud.
The swabs required for a DNA test we provide inside our kit. All you need to do is rub these on the inside of the mouth and against the lining of the mouth (mainly the cheek). The process will collect cheek cells. Once you have swabbed the mouth of all test participants you can leave the swabs dry (this is just a precautionary measure to make sure that no mold grows on them). If you are wondering why mouth swabs are the standard means of collecting DNA, here are the reasons:
- Anyone can use mouth swabs
- Samples are almost always in tip-top condition and labs have no issues extracting DNA
- They are painless- which means, that they are suited to sampling on little kids and even babies
What paternity tests are available?
A paternity test involves directly comparing the DNA of the alleged father and the child. The paternity tests available are home paternity testing, legal paternity testing and prenatal paternity testing.
We currently only offer home (non-legal) paternity DNA tests through our online store.
See an example of our Paternity Test Results.
What is the difference between a home test and a legal test?
A home test is a peace of mind test. A kit is in this case sent directly to the individuals taking part in the test and they will need to collect their own samples at home using the mouth swabs and following the instructions inside the kit. It is a very straightforward and elementary procedure.
In a legal test, a third party, neutral and entirely non-involved in the test will need to be employed to collect the samples. There is a DNA sample verification and authentication process involved which is there to simply make sure no one cheats or accidentally switches DNA samples – remember the results need to stand in court and must be of unquestionable authenticity for a judge and a courtroom.