The most common type of DNA testing requested is for determining paternity. In order to complete a DNA paternity test, the alleged father and child must both participate. It is not absolutely necessary to have the participation of the child's biological mother to achieve test accuracy at >99.9% or 100%. While outcomes will be the same regardless of the mother's participation, a full paternity test may achieve an accuracy rate of >99.999% for inclusions, whereas a motherless paternity test may only yield accuracy of >99.9%. In instances where the child is a newborn, without distinctive facial features at his/her young age, comparing the mother's DNA may also act as confirmation that the child attending the appointment for specimen collection is indeed the specific child requiring the paternity test.

If the biological parent of a child is not available for testing, a genetic profile of this individual may be reconstructed by testing other relatives (e.g., siblings, grandparents, aunt, and/or uncles).