Paternity Test Cost: Free, Agency and Lab Prices Compared

Paternity test cost depends less on the lab than on the route a single mom takes. Signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital costs nothing in states such as Ohio. A child support agency can test the mother, the child and the alleged father for about $25 to $55 a person, and private labs list $179 to $499.

This guide compares the paternity test cost of each route, walks through the two low-cost ones step by step, shows what makes a result count in court, and lists what legal paternity gives your child. Prices come from each lab's or agency's own page, read on November 14, 2026. Rules vary by state, and this is general information, not legal advice, so confirm details with your state child support office.

Paternity test cost at a glance

• Hospital acknowledgment form: $0, when both parents agree
• Child support agency DNA test: $25 to $55 a person, often paid up front by the state
• Home kit for private knowledge: from $179, not usable in court
• Legal test with chain of custody: $219 to $499
• Prenatal test before birth: from $1,099

Paternity test cost by route and setting

The table lists published prices from named labs and state or county child support offices. Lab figures are starting prices; extra people, collection fees, shipping and rush results can push the final paternity test cost higher, so ask for a written quote before you pay.

Route	Who runs it	Listed price	Counts in court?
Hospital acknowledgment form	Hospital or birth records office	$0 in Ohio, with free witnesses and notaries; Ohio Central Paternity Registry	Yes, it becomes a legal finding of paternity
Agency DNA test, Wake County, NC	County child support office, LabCorp collects	$25 per person; Wake County Child Support Services	Yes
Agency DNA test, Arizona	Division of Child Support Services	$51 per person, paid by the state until paternity is established; Arizona DES	Yes
Agency DNA test, Idaho	Child Support Services	$55 per person, plus a $25 application fee; Idaho fee schedule	Yes
Home kit	GameDay DNA	From $179 for father and child; GameDay DNA price guide	No, personal knowledge only
Walk-in lab, Fort Lauderdale	Lab Doctor	$189, or $219 with chain of custody; Lab Doctor	Only the $219 option
Legal test	GameDay DNA	From $299	Yes
Legal test, New Jersey	Paternity NJ	From $375; sample collection is extra in some areas; Paternity NJ	Yes
Home or legal test	DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC)	$199 home, $499 legal; DDC price guide	Legal version only
Prenatal test (NIPP)	GameDay DNA	From $1,099 at home, $1,499 legal	Legal version only

For a single mom of two who is unsure about one child's father, the agency route usually means the lowest paternity test cost. Arizona pays its $51-a-person fee until paternity is established and then charges the man named by the test. Oklahoma works the same way, and a man who turns out not to be the father does not pay at all (Oklahoma Child Support Services, paternity FAQ).

Private labs make sense when speed or privacy matters more than price, or when you live where the agency waiting list is long. Even then, the paternity test cost for a court-ready result sits between $219 and $499 at the labs above.

The $0 route: signing at the hospital

Every state must run a hospital-based program for voluntary acknowledgment of paternity around the time of birth, under 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5)(C) (42 U.S.C. 666, Cornell LII). Before either parent signs, both must get notice, spoken and in writing, of the alternatives, the legal consequences and the rights that come with the form.

Arizona calls its version the Hospital Paternity Program. Ohio describes the form as free and as the quickest way to establish paternity. In Maryland, hospital staff help parents complete it at no charge and can act as witnesses (Maryland People's Law Library).

1. Ask for the form before discharge.States name it differently: Acknowledgment of Paternity, Affidavit of Parentage, or Declaration of Parentage.
2. Have both parents' details ready.Ohio asks for each parent's full name, current address, date of birth and Social Security number if they have one, plus the father's state or country of birth.
3. Sign only if you are sure.Ohio's registry tells parents not to sign when there is any doubt about who the father is, and to get genetic testing first.
4. Keep a copy and write down the date.A 60-day clock starts from the signing or filing date, depending on the state, covered in the next section.
5. Missed the hospital window?Wake County lists child support offices, Vital Records, clerks of court, health departments and social services offices as other places to sign. Maryland accepts the affidavit up to the child's 18th birthday.

The form itself follows federal minimums. The Office of Child Support Services sets required data elements for every state's affidavit, and the current approval runs to January 31, 2027 (ACF, required data elements for paternity affidavits).

For a single mother, the delivery room is often the one time both parents are in the same place with a notary nearby. Using that moment keeps the paternity test cost at zero when nobody doubts who the father is.

Changing your mind: the 60-day rescission window

A signed acknowledgment counts as a legal finding of paternity. Federal law lets either signer rescind it within 60 days, or by the date of a court or agency hearing about the child if that comes first, under 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5)(D).

After the 60 days, the form can be challenged in court only for fraud, duress or a material mistake of fact, and the person challenging carries the burden of proof. Support owed under the acknowledgment keeps running during the challenge unless a court finds good cause to pause it.

States add their own paperwork. Texas uses Form VS-158, filed within 60 days after the acknowledgment reaches its Vital Statistics Unit (Texas Attorney General, AOP). In Ohio, either parent can ask the county agency for genetic testing inside the window; after it, a private court action has to be brought within one year after the acknowledgment becomes final (Stark County, Ohio, paternity establishment).

Why the 60 days matter to a single mom

If the father signs at the hospital and later wants out, his window is short. If you signed while unsure, the same short window applies to you. Put the date on your calendar the day you sign.

How to get a DNA test through child support

When the father refuses to sign, or either parent has doubts, the state child support agency is the low-cost path for most single moms. Federal law requires the agency to pay for any test it orders, and lets the state recover that paternity test cost from the man if he is found to be the father.

1. Open a case. Federal law caps the application fee at $25 and bars it for families receiving TANF or Medicaid (42 U.S.C. 654(6), Cornell LII). Idaho charges exactly $25.
2. Share what you know about him. Maryland's guide asks for his last known address, what he looks like, where he works and his Social Security number if you have it.
3. Go to the swab appointment. It is a cheek swab, not a needle. In Los Angeles County, everyone tested brings government photo ID and is photographed and fingerprinted (Los Angeles County Child Support Services).
4. Get the result. In Oklahoma, a result of 99 percent or more leads the judge to name the legal father.
5. Know who pays for a retest. Federal law gives a second test to anyone who contests the first, but only if that person pays in advance.

Showing up matters on both sides. Los Angeles County warns that an alleged father who skips the appointment can be ruled the father without results. A mother on public assistance who misses hers can see her aid grant reduced, and a mother not on aid can have her case closed.

Each state runs this a little differently, and so does the paternity test cost per person. Texas handles it through the Attorney General's Child Support Division, covered in the Texas child support guide.

Florida's Department of Revenue runs its own program, which the Florida child support guide for single moms walks through.

Home kit or court-admissible test?

A home kit and a legal test can use the same cheek swab method and the same lab. What the extra $30 to $300 buys is a paper trail that proves whose DNA was tested.

What you get	Home kit	Legal test
Who takes the swab	You, at home	A neutral collector at a lab or clinic
Identity check	None	Photo ID for each person tested
Chain of custody form	No	Yes, signed at each hand-off
Lab accreditation	Varies by seller	Accredited lab; New Jersey family court expects AABB accreditation
Social Security, court, child support	Not accepted by Social Security	Accepted when the lab is accredited
Listed price, Nov. 2026	$179 to $199	$219 to $499

Federal law requires states to admit results from labs approved by a designated accreditation body without extra testimony, unless someone objects in writing. Social Security goes further: its operations manual says results from mail order or over-the-counter kits are not acceptable evidence of paternity (SSA POMS GN 00306.125).

So if the goal is support, a birth certificate change or benefits, a home kit can mean paying the paternity test cost twice. Buy one only for private peace of mind.

Testing before the baby is born

A non-invasive prenatal paternity (NIPP) test compares DNA from the mother's blood sample with the alleged father's swab. GameDay DNA lists $1,099 for at-home collection, $1,299 for an informational office visit and $1,499 for a legal test, plus tax, with a $200 or $400 deposit, in the same GameDay price guide.

DDC's 2024 price guide puts prenatal tests at $1,500 to $2,000, the highest paternity test cost on this list. Agency testing swabs the child, so it happens after birth. For a single mom on one paycheck, waiting until the baby arrives can save more than $1,000.

What legal paternity gives you and your child

A DNA match alone is not legal paternity. In Texas, a biological father who is not married to the mother has no legal rights to the child until paternity is established (Texas Access, paternity). Once it is, the child gains:

• Child support. Arizona's child support division says paternity must be established before a support order can be created or enforced.
• Health coverage. Los Angeles County needs legal parentage before it can get a court order for health insurance; the health insurance guide for single moms covers the other options.
• Social Security. A child of unmarried parents can qualify on a parent's record through a written acknowledgment, a court decree or a support order (20 CFR 404.355).
• Veterans, military and life insurance benefits. Maryland and Ohio both list these.
• Inheritance. Texas Access says paternity protects a child's possible inheritance if the father dies.
• Medical history. Ohio and Texas both point to access to the father's family medical history.
• A father on the birth certificate. Federal law adds the father's name to the birth record of a child of unmarried parents only after a signed acknowledgment or an order.

The Social Security rule rewards acting early. If the father has died, the acknowledgment, decree or order counts only if it was made before his death; after that, the child generally has to qualify another way, such as under state inheritance law or by showing he lived with or supported the child when he died.

When he denies it, disappears or is in jail

If the alleged father refuses, you or the agency can file a paternity case, and the court can order testing. Federal law requires states to enter a default order once he has been properly served and does not respond.

A court can also order temporary support while the case is open when there is clear and convincing evidence of paternity, such as a genetic test. That can matter to a single mother covering every bill alone during a slow case.

If he is incarcerated, Texas certified entities can help complete the acknowledgment by DocuSign, and its hotline handles cases where the other parent is in jail, in the military or in another state. The father in jail guide covers money help while he is inside.

Court filing fees vary by county and come on top of any paternity test cost, so ask the clerk about a fee waiver if money is tight. Free help is listed in the legal aid guide for single mothers. If you plan to hire someone, see what a family lawyer typically charges.

Paternity and custody are separate orders

Establishing paternity does not by itself decide where the child lives. Texas Access says conservatorship, child support, medical support and a possession order can be set after paternity is established. The legal vs physical custody explainer breaks down the two kinds of custody.

Some states add another step. Georgia, for instance, treats paternity and legitimation as different things, which the Georgia child support guide explains for a single mother who was never married.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free paternity test for a single mom?

Often, yes. The hospital acknowledgment costs nothing when both parents agree. When there is doubt, many child support agencies pay for the DNA test up front and bill the man only if he is the father, as Arizona and Oklahoma do. Ask your county child support office how its paternity test cost works before paying a private lab.

Can I use a home DNA kit in court?

Usually not. A home kit has no neutral collector, no identity check and no chain of custody, so courts and agencies generally do not rely on it, and Social Security says it does not accept mail order kits. If you need the result for support or benefits, order a legal test from an accredited lab.

Who pays for the test if he is not the father?

Where the state recovers costs, the agency absorbs the bill when the man is excluded; Oklahoma says a man who is not the father owes nothing for it. If anyone disputes a result and wants a second test, federal law makes that person pay in advance before the lab runs it.

How old can my child be when paternity is established?

Federal law requires every state to allow paternity to be established at any time before the child turns 18. Maryland, for example, accepts its Affidavit of Parentage up to the 18th birthday. Starting early still helps, because Social Security survivor benefits can depend on when paternity was put in writing.

Does signing the acknowledgment give the father custody?

No. The form makes him the legal father, which opens the door to support and benefits, but custody and parenting time come from separate orders. Texas, for example, sets conservatorship and a possession order only after paternity exists. Check your state's rule on custody of a child born to unmarried parents before any court order.

Sources

• Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5), procedures concerning paternity establishment. law.cornell.edu (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B), application fee for child support services. law.cornell.edu (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Services. Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits (expires January 31, 2027). acf.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 404.355, Who is the insured's natural child? ssa.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Social Security Administration. POMS GN 00306.125, Federal standard for a parent-child relationship based on other satisfactory evidence. secure.ssa.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Arizona Department of Economic Security. Establish Paternity (genetic testing fee and Hospital Paternity Program). des.az.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Child Support Fees (effective October 2025). healthandwelfare.idaho.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Wake County, North Carolina. Paternity Establishment, Child Support Services. wake.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Oklahoma Human Services, Child Support Services. Paternity FAQs for Fathers. oklahoma.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Central Paternity Registry. oh-paternity.com (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Stark County, Ohio, Job and Family Services. Paternity Establishment. starkcountyohio.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP). texasattorneygeneral.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Texas Access. Paternity. txaccess.org (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Maryland Thurgood Marshall State Law Library. Paternity, Maryland People's Law Library. peoples-law.org (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Establishing Paternity. cssd.lacounty.gov (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• GameDay DNA. How Much Does a DNA Test Cost? (home, legal and prenatal pricing and deposits; updated October 21, 2026). gamedaydna.com (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• DNA Diagnostics Center. How Much Does a Paternity Test Cost? (April 23, 2024; listed prices shown on the page November 14, 2026). tests.dnacenter.com (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Lab Doctor. DNA / Paternity Testing. labdoctor.org (retrieved November 14, 2026)
• Paternity NJ. Legal Paternity Testing in New Jersey. paternitynj.com (retrieved November 14, 2026)