Legal DNA Testing
DNA testing for court and official purposes
When DNA results may be used in court or another official proceeding, an at-home collection is generally not sufficient. Legal DNA testing requires verified identities, professional sample collection, documented chain of custody, and laboratory processing that meets applicable relationship-testing standards.
Legal cases coordinated through AND DNA TEST are processed through an AABB-accredited relationship-testing laboratory. AND DNA TEST is an independent DNA-testing coordinator and is not itself the testing laboratory.
When might legal DNA testing be needed?
Legal relationship testing may be requested for matters involving:
- Child custody or child support
- Establishing or amending parentage
- Birth-certificate matters
- Social Security, insurance, or military benefits
- Inheritance or estate proceedings
- Other court or government requirements
Acceptance requirements can vary. If an attorney, court, or government agency requested the test, confirm its specific requirements before testing begins.
How legal testing works
1. Tell us about your testing need
Contact us before placing an order. We will review the relationship being evaluated, the people available to test, the location of each participant, and any applicable deadline.
2. Collection is arranged
Test kits are sent directly to an appropriate collection location. Participants provide identification, and samples are collected by a trained, unrelated third-party collector.
3. Chain of custody is documented
The collector verifies the participants’ identities, completes the required paperwork, seals the samples, and returns them directly for laboratory processing.
4. Results are issued
The laboratory completes the analysis and issues the formal report according to the arrangements established for the case.
Legal testing is not the same as an at-home test
At-home DNA tests can provide reliable information for personal knowledge, but self-collected samples generally do not establish the documented chain of custody required for legal use.
If there is any possibility that the results will later be needed for court or another official purpose, arrange legal testing from the beginning.
Request legal DNA testing
Please contact us before purchasing a test so we can identify the appropriate testing and collection process for your situation.
Do not send identification documents, birth certificates, court records, or other sensitive documents through this form.