Home paternity tests cannot be used to establish paternity for legal purposes, such as child support, custody, and Social Security benefits. The reason for this is that DNA is collected by the test participants, the chain-of-custody protocol is not followed, and the identities of the test subjects have not been independently verified. The results from a home paternity test are still accurate for the samples provided to us: they are only provided for your own peace of mind and for your own information. We are available to assist you at 888.489.5174 if you require court documents or anticipate needing them in the future.

As cheek-swab samples are different from saliva samples, we recommend that customers swab for at least 30 seconds per swab, avoiding areas with saliva-rich gum tissue. If samples appear "too wet" after swabbing, simply wave the swab in the air for 1-2 minutes before placing them in a paper envelope.

Since the identities of the test participants have not been independently confirmed, DEPOINTE DNA does not provide names on the home paternity test report. Participants' names are requested on sample envelopes only for internal tracking and communication purposes. To obtain a report that includes names, you may want to opt for a legal paternity test. Please note that we are unable to add names to a home paternity test upon request.

The industry standard for this type of test is the use of cheek swabs. The use of cheek swabs makes DNA extraction easier for our lab's robots, which helps to reduce costs for our clients. Our experts can assist you if you wish to submit an "unusual" sample such as a toothbrush, ear wax on swabs, or fingernail clippings. Please call us directly at 888.489.5174 to discuss your request. For the testing of a sample's viability, a non-refundable fee of $195 is required.