How Accurate Is A Paternity DNA Test?

Paternity testing is an accurate process to determine the biological relationship between an alleged father and a child. No DNA test is 100% accurate. Laboratories claiming 100% accuracy are suspicious. Our partner accredited laboratory provides paternity test results with a probability of 99.99% or higher and 0% for exclusions.

Are home paternity tests as accurate as legal paternity tests?

Testing analysis for both home paternity DNA tests and legal paternity DNA tests follows the exact same procedure. The major differences between a home paternity test and a legal paternity test are as follows: 

Home paternity DNA tests are self-collected. These tests do not require a chain of custody or a third-party DNA sample collector.

Legal paternity tests require an unbiased third-party DNA sample collector. These tests require the establishment of a proper chain of custody. An AABB accredited laboratory must test all DNA samples. This accreditation ensures that family courts, immigration agencies (such as USCIS, U.S. embassies, and passport agencies), the Social Security Benefits Office, and vital records offices recognize the results when adding a father’s name to a child’s birth certificate. The main difference between a home test and a legal test is the requirement for a chain of custody.

Are cheek-swab paternity tests accurate?

Yes. Cheek swabs are a reliable method for collecting DNA for paternity testing. A properly collected cheek-swab sample can provide the DNA needed to produce the same paternity conclusion as a blood sample. Cheek swabs are commonly used because collection is simple, noninvasive, and painless. 

Does including the mother improve the accuracy of a paternity test?

Including the mother in the paternity test increases lab efficiency and strengthens comparative analysis. A father and child test without the mother remains conclusive in the vast majority of paternity testing cases. The absence of the mother’s involvement does not change the accuracy of the outcome. The laboratory receives a much more conclusive statistical analysis without ambiguity when the mother is included.

What determines the accuracy of a paternity test?

The accuracy of a DNA paternity test depends on the quality of the sample arriving at the laboratory for analysis. Accuracy begins with sample quality. Sample collection methods affect result accuracy. 

Shipping facility handling and DNA collector procedures during transit affect result accuracy. This applies to both legal and home DNA paternity tests. The collector plays an extremely important role. We always recommend maternal participation for paternity testing when the mother is available. This approach provides laboratory technicians with the highest frequency of comparative analysis for performing the analysis.

Does 99.99% mean the test is accurate?

No. A paternity inclusion is generally not reported as a 100% probability of paternity. Laboratories typically report a probability of paternity of 99.99% or higher when the tested man cannot be excluded. Want to understand where the 99.99% probability comes from? Learn how to read paternity DNA test results.  

Are paternity tests 100% accurate?

No. Paternity test results will never reach 100% accuracy. You should pause before moving forward if any laboratory claims 100% accuracy when performing a DNA test. Please visit our page here to learn more about inclusions and exclusions.