Quick Facts
Test Type	Maternity Test
Individuals Involved	Child and alleged mother
Description	To determine whether an alleged mother is the true biological mother of a child.
Fee for Private Home Test [?]	$150 US for testing 1 child and 1 alleged mother
Fee for Court-Admissible Home Test [?]	$230 US for testing 1 child and 1 alleged mother
Fee for Legal Test [?]	$330 US for testing 1 child and 1 alleged mother, plus specimen collection fee
Specimen	Buccal swab (blood is also acceptable but not recommended)
Turnaround Time	Regular: 3 to 5 business days, Express: 2 - 3 business days
Method of Reporting	Mail, Email, or Telephone
Ordering	This test can be ordered by phone, fax, mail, or online:  By phone: 1-888-262-2263  By Fax or mail: download a printable order form  Order online: order online 24 hours a day

DNA maternity testing can conclusively determine whether a woman is the true biological mother of a child. A child inherits one half of his/her genetic information from his/her mother and the other half from the father. If an alleged mother is the true biological mother of a child, the maternal half of the child's genetics will match the alleged mother's genetic profile perfectly. If the tested woman is not the true biological mother of a child, her DNA profile will not match the child's and the test will clearly show that the child's maternal genes come from another woman.

What Type of Specimen is Required?

The preferred specimen type for maternity testing is the buccal swab. This is due to the fact that that buccal swab sample can be collected quickly, accurately and painlessly from the test participants. Buccal swab collections are the newest and most advanced method to collect DNA and buccal cell samples are furthermore easy for transport, storage and processing. To collect the buccal cell sample, four buccal swabs (similar to cotton tips) are brushed with moderate strength along the inner cheek. In doing so, loosely fixed cells which have gathered at this area will adhere to the swabs for subsequent extraction of DNA at the laboratory.

Legal or Private Testing?

Depending upon the reason that you are getting the maternity test done, you can choose between the legal test and the private test. Both tests are equally accurate and will give you the same results. The legal test involves scheduling an appointment for chain-of-custody sample collection at one of our collection sites so that the test participants can be properly identified and so that the collection can be witnessed. The private test is intended for your own knowledge and not for court use so if you choose the private test, you can use our home kit and collect the swab sample yourself in the privacy of your own home. The legal maternity test is useful for clients who are using their results in court and require court accepted documents. However, if you are just trying to find out the truth so that you can decide on the next step, the private test may be more suitable because it is more economical and will produce exactly the same results as the legal test.

Step-by-Step

Step 1 - Order the test. Order laboratory testing by phone at 1-888-262-2263 or by mail, or click here to order the private DNA collection kit online.

Step 2 - Collect and submit the samples to the laboratory. Kits are delivered to your door within 24 hours by courier or within 5 working days by mail. Each Maternity test kit comes complete with all of the collection materials and instructions for you to take the test in the privacy of your own home. All Maternity testing kits employ the buccal swab technique, allowing you to perform the collection within minutes with no fuss, no pain. Submit the DNA specimen directly to the laboratory after collection.