How to Do a Paternity Test When the Father and Child Live in Different States
Yes, a father and child can take a paternity DNA test from different states without meeting for collection. A multi-location order connects the samples to one case, with collection kits sent to the addresses where the participants will collect.
The important arrangements are the participants, shipping addresses, purpose of testing and authorized report recipients. My Forever DNA's multi-location paternity kit starts with one alleged father and one child at two U.S. addresses. It can also suit separate households in the same city.
Key Takeaways
- One order connects two locations. The standard multi-location package includes two kits for one alleged father and one child at separate U.S. addresses.
- Kits follow addresses. Additional participants and additional shipping locations are separate parts of the order setup.
- Each location returns its samples separately. Prepaid, tracked U.S. FedEx return shipping is included, and both shipments belong to the same case.
- Laboratory timing starts after intake is complete. The usual 1 to 3 business days begins after all required samples and completed forms are received, accepted and placed into processing.
- Choose the process for your purpose. A self-collected home kit is for personal knowledge. Official use requires appropriate legal testing arrangements before collection.
Which Paternity Test Should You Order for Different Addresses?
Choose the setup based on where samples will be collected. Separate homes, shared custody, out-of-state work and adult children living elsewhere can all make a two-address order useful. If everyone can collect together, the standard paternity kit may fit instead.
| Your collection arrangement | Appropriate setup | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| One alleged father and one child can collect at one address. | Standard shipped paternity kit, currently $139. | All participants can use the materials delivered to that address. |
| One alleged father and one child will collect at two U.S. addresses. | Multi-location paternity kit, currently $184. | Both addresses and the participants collecting at each location. |
| Additional alleged fathers or children will collect across two addresses. | Select the required participants on the multi-location product. | The current options add $80 per additional alleged father or child. Confirm the family relationships and materials required at each address. |
| Samples will be collected at three or more addresses, or an address is outside the U.S. | Contact the team before ordering. | Shipping availability, any additional charges and return arrangements for those locations. |
| Results are needed for a court, agency or other official purpose. | Arrange legal chain-of-custody testing. | The requesting authority's requirements and coordinated collection arrangements. |
Three participants do not necessarily require three shipped kits. For example, one alleged father at one address and two children at another involve three participants across two collection locations. Describe that arrangement when setting up the case so the correct materials go to each address.
The two-address base price includes the collection kits, standard laboratory analysis and report, with prepaid U.S. FedEx shipping both ways. For a broader comparison of participant configurations and costs, see our DNA test cost guide.
How Do You Complete a Paternity Test in Two Different States?
The aim is to keep each person's collection separate while keeping the order, paperwork and laboratory comparison coordinated. Follow the instructions supplied for your case throughout the process.
1. Choose personal testing or legal testing
Decide what you need the result for before buying a kit. For private family information, the multi-location home paternity product supports collection at separate addresses. If a court or another authority will need the report, arrange the legal process described below before anyone collects a sample.
2. Place one order and provide both addresses
Select the correct numbers of alleged fathers and children, then provide both complete shipping addresses for the order. Identify the participants collecting at each address. Contact the team before completing an unusual setup, including more than two locations or international delivery.
You do not need to buy two unrelated paternity tests to cover two households. Keeping the participants within one coordinated order allows the laboratory to associate the returned samples with the intended comparison.
3. Receive the kits and complete the forms
Each location receives its collection materials and instructions. Check the participant information and complete the Result Notification Form, including the authorized report recipients. Ask your DNA Specialist to clarify any conflicting recipient details before testing.
There is no barcode activation or online account registration step. Keep the supplied sample identifiers with the appropriate materials so the case information remains consistent when the shipments return separately.
4. Collect and package each person's cheek swabs
Use separate swabs and the correct labeled envelope for each participant. The current multi-location instructions call for two cheek swabs per person, with each swab rubbed inside the cheek for 60 seconds. Air-dry the swabs at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before packaging, and follow any instructions supplied with your particular kit.
- Handle the stick rather than touching the collection tip.
- Keep one person's swabs separate from another's.
- Place dried swabs in the appropriate sample envelope.
- Do not put swabs in plastic bags.
Only submit samples you are legally authorized to provide. If a sample is mixed up, contaminated or incorrectly collected, ask the team about the next step before mailing it.
5. Return each location's samples separately
For U.S. orders, each location sends its collected samples and completed paperwork in its own prepaid, tracked FedEx return envelope. There is no need to send one household's swabs to the other household first. Keep both return tracking numbers so each shipment can be followed independently.
The samples can be collected and mailed on different days. Coordinating reasonably prompt returns helps avoid a case waiting for the remaining participant.
6. Wait for all required samples to enter processing
The laboratory links the separately returned samples to the same case using the supplied identifiers. A carrier delivery notification for one envelope does not mean the entire case is ready for analysis. The required samples and completed forms must all be received and accepted before the case enters processing.
Use the FedEx tracking details to follow individual returns. My Forever DNA's sample-received confirmation is issued after all required samples are back and the case has been placed into processing.
7. Receive the report and ask about the findings
After analysis, the PDF report is emailed to the authorized recipients recorded on the completed Result Notification Form. Your Dedicated DNA Specialist can help explain the findings by phone or email. The written report is delivered by email.
What Is Included With the Two-Address Kit?
Each address receives the materials needed for the participants collecting there. The standard U.S. arrangement includes:
- Cheek swabs for the selected participants.
- Sample envelopes with identification details for the case.
- Collection and packaging instructions.
- A Result Notification Form for authorized report delivery.
- A prepaid, tracked U.S. FedEx return envelope for that location.
The kits arrive in plain FedEx envelopes for discreet delivery. Standard laboratory testing and the report are included in the selected package. If your case needs an alternative sample or a different shipping arrangement, confirm that setup before treating it as a standard two-address cheek-swab order.
How Long Does Paternity Testing From Different States Take?
The usual laboratory turnaround is 1 to 3 business days after all required samples and completed forms have been received, accepted by the laboratory and placed into processing. Shipping, sample collection and any wait for the other location come before that laboratory period.
| Stage | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Kit dispatch | The current product information states that kits ship within 1 business day. |
| Delivery to the two U.S. addresses | FedEx delivery is typically 1 to 2 business days after dispatch. The two packages may arrive at different times. |
| Collection and return | Timing depends on when each location collects and sends its samples and when both returns arrive. |
| Laboratory analysis and report | Typically 1 to 3 business days once the complete case is accepted and placed into processing. Weekends and holidays are excluded. |
For example, if one return reaches the laboratory on Monday and the other arrives on Thursday, the first delivery does not start the complete case's laboratory turnaround. The laboratory must accept all required samples and paperwork and place the case into processing first. Missing forms or a sample that needs recollection can extend the wait.
These are separate stages, so the laboratory estimate is not a promise of results within 1 to 3 days of ordering. If you have a deadline, discuss the full collection and shipping plan with the team.
Who Receives the Results When Participants Live Apart?
The completed Result Notification Form identifies the authorized recipients of the emailed PDF report. A participant who needs their own copy should have that arrangement recorded on the form and confirmed with the DNA Specialist. Paying for the order or providing a shipping address should not be treated as a substitute for completing the recipient information.
Agree on the recipients before returning the samples, particularly when households want separate copies. If the forms contain conflicting instructions, ask the specialist to resolve them before testing. My Forever DNA provides human support without requiring an online results portal.
The report addresses the tested father-child relationship. An exclusion does not identify another biological father. Our guide to understanding paternity results explains the conclusion and probability figures.
Is a Paternity Test From Different States as Accurate?
The shipping arrangement does not change the father-child comparison. My Forever DNA's multi-location paternity test uses 24 DNA genetic markers plus Amelogenin, with dual processing of accepted samples. The product describes results typically showing 99.999% or higher probability when paternity is confirmed, or 100% exclusion.
The practical priorities are usable samples, correct participant identification and complete family information. Tell the team before ordering if possible fathers are close biological relatives, because that can affect the case setup. For the broader explanation of the analysis, see our paternity testing guide.
How Does Legal Paternity Testing Work Across State Lines?
A self-collected multi-location home test is intended for personal knowledge. If a report is needed for child support, custody, inheritance, a birth record or another official matter, confirm the requirements with the requesting authority before collection. Legal testing requires identity verification and documented chain of custody.
Separate locations can still be coordinated within a legal testing case. AABB's relationship testing FAQs explain that accredited facilities can arrange collections together or separately. Ask the selected provider to coordinate the required appointments and documents for everyone involved.
My Forever DNA's listed legal DNA testing service is in Omaha, Nebraska. Contact the team about your locations before purchasing that service. A two-address home kit does not include legal collection appointments in two states.
For immigration, visa, passport or citizenship testing, follow the requesting agency's instructions and contact the team before collection so the appropriate AABB-accredited laboratory process can be arranged.
What If Someone Cannot Provide a Cheek Swab?
First separate the collection problem from the shipping problem. A multi-location kit helps willing participants collect at different addresses. If someone cannot provide a cheek swab, the case may instead need an approved alternative sample and different processing arrangements.
Read the alternative DNA sample guide and confirm the proposed sample with the team before ordering. Sample suitability varies, and a personal item is not automatically suitable or authorized for testing. Only submit samples you are legally authorized to provide.
Can Other Relationship Tests Use Separate Locations?
Separate-address collection is also available for supported sibling, grandparent, maternity and aunt or uncle testing. Choose the product for the biological relationship being evaluated, then arrange the required participants and addresses. A paternity kit should not be used as a substitute for a different relationship test.
Browse the multi-location relationship testing options or ask the team to confirm the appropriate case before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paternity Testing in Different States
Do I need to order two paternity tests?
No. For one alleged father and one child collecting at two U.S. addresses, the multi-location product is one order with two kits connected to one case. If you have already bought separate orders, contact the team before collecting or returning samples so they can confirm the appropriate next step.
Do both people need to collect their samples on the same day?
No. Each location can collect and return its samples independently. Follow the kit's drying and packaging instructions and arrange prompt returns. The laboratory waits for the complete, accepted case before starting the relationship comparison.
Does the mother have to participate if she lives with the child?
No. A standard paternity case can compare the alleged father and child directly. If you want to add a known biological mother's reference sample, contact the team so it is linked correctly to the multi-location case. An optional maternal reference supports the paternity analysis and does not include a separate maternity determination. See the father-and-child-only guide.
Can the child be a newborn or an adult?
Yes. The standard cheek-swab paternity test is suitable for participants of any age. A newborn can be collected at one address while the alleged father collects at another, and an adult son or daughter can participate in the same type of father-child comparison. Follow the supplied collection instructions for the participant.
Can I use kits from two different laboratories?
Arrange the comparison as one coordinated case with the chosen provider. The multi-location product supplies the materials and case information used to connect both returns. If you already have a kit or result from another laboratory, ask the provider what it can accept before ordering or collecting again.
Can I email the DIY kit to someone in another state?
My Forever DNA's DIY digital kit is not offered for multi-location orders. It supplies emailed instructions for an eligible DIY setup, with customers providing materials and paying for tracked return shipping. For participants collecting at separate addresses, choose the multi-location shipped kit or discuss the arrangement with the team.
What if one participant lives outside the United States?
Contact the team before ordering. Shipping availability, delivery time, customs and return arrangements depend on the destination. The prepaid U.S. return-shipping inclusion should not be assumed to apply internationally. Provide the countries and addresses so the actual options and charges can be confirmed.
What if the alleged father is unavailable or will not participate?
A two-address kit still needs the required samples for the selected case. If the alleged father cannot participate, an indirect relationship test or an approved, legally authorized alternative sample may be considered. Our father-unavailable guide explains the routes to discuss before ordering.
Arrange Your Paternity Test From Different Locations
For one alleged father and one child collecting at two U.S. addresses, choose the multi-location paternity kit. Contact My Forever DNA first if your case involves additional locations, international delivery or official requirements.
Sources and Service Information
- My Forever DNA: the multi-location and standard paternity products linked above, for current package prices, participant options, shipping, collection, processing and report delivery.
- My Forever DNA: the legal testing service linked above, for the Omaha service and legal collection requirements.
- AABB: DNA Relationship Testing FAQs, for coordinated separate collections and chain of custody.
Responsible Testing Notice
Informational at-home DNA testing is intended for personal knowledge. Arrange the appropriate legal chain-of-custody test before collecting samples for official use. Follow the laws that apply to consent and sample collection in the participants' locations. International testing and shipping arrangements depend on the destination. My Forever DNA provides relationship testing and educational information, not legal or medical advice.
