Paternity Testing for Adults: Confirming a Father-Child Relationship Later in Life
An adult son or daughter can use a standard paternity DNA test to evaluate a possible biological father's relationship to them. In this context, "child" describes the family relationship, not the participant's age. When both adults are willing to participate, the usual starting point is a cheek-swab sample from each person.
The practical questions are who can provide samples, where collection will happen and who will receive the report. It also matters whether you have a specific man to test or are still trying to identify your biological father. Those situations need different next steps.
Can you take a paternity test after age 18?
Yes. My Forever DNA's standard paternity kits are suitable for adult participants as well as children. You do not need a separate adult-only kit, and a possible father does not need to have tested when you were younger for a comparison to be arranged now.
What age does and does not change:
- For example, an adult daughter and an older possible father can provide cheek swabs for the same type of direct father-child comparison used in a younger person's case. The laboratory evaluates the relationship between the two people whose samples were submitted. It does not need a childhood sample to compare with the adult's current sample.
- The test's purpose remains specific: whether the tested man is the adult child's biological father. It does not identify every biological relative, provide a health assessment or decide how the people involved should define their family relationship.
Which testing route fits your situation?
Start with the people available and the question you want answered.
You have a specific possible father, and both adults can collect at one address.
Participants or information needed
Adult child and alleged father. A known biological mother's reference sample is optional in a standard case.
Appropriate next step
Choose a standard paternity kit.
Both adults will participate, but they live at separate addresses.
Participants or information needed
Adult child and alleged father, with the collection addresses and case details coordinated.
Appropriate next step
Choose a multi-location paternity kit.
The alleged father is unavailable or deceased.
Participants or information needed
Information about available biological relatives or a legally authorized, approved alternative sample.
Appropriate next step
Review the father-unavailable options with the team before choosing a test.
You do not yet know who your biological father might be.
Participants or information needed
Family information and, where appropriate, genealogy research or DNA matching.
Appropriate next step
Start with discovery rather than ordering a direct comparison without an identified person or suitable reference sample.
You need a result for inheritance, a birth record or another official purpose.
Participants or information needed
The requesting authority's requirements and the appropriate participants.
Appropriate next step
Arrange legal chain-of-custody testing before collection.
One more ordering detail:
- The number of people and the number of shipping addresses are separate decisions. For instance, a mother participating as a reference adds a person to the case, but she may or may not need materials sent to another address. Explain both details before ordering.
Three examples of adult paternity testing
These examples illustrate how to choose a route. They are not actual customer cases.
Example 1: Both adults can provide cheek swabs at one address
A 38-year-old daughter and a 67-year-old man want to evaluate whether he is her biological father. Both agree to participate and can collect their samples at the same address. They want the answer for personal knowledge.
- The standard paternity kit fits this arrangement. Each person uses their own collection materials and labeled sample envelope. The daughter's mother does not have to participate in a straightforward father-child case, although her sample can be included as a reference if appropriate.
- Before returning the samples, they agree who should receive the result and complete the Result Notification Form accordingly. The adult daughter's age does not change the participant category from "child" to a different test type.
Example 2: The adult child and possible father live in different states
A 45-year-old son lives in Colorado, while his possible father lives in Florida. Both want to test, but meeting for collection would be inconvenient.
- The multi-location paternity kit connects their samples to one case. The standard arrangement includes one alleged father and one child, with two kits sent to two U.S. addresses. Each location returns its samples and required paperwork using the supplied instructions.
- Their samples do not have to arrive on the same day. Laboratory processing begins after all required samples and completed forms have been received and accepted. They should therefore agree on a collection and mailing plan instead of counting the laboratory turnaround from the day the first person posts an envelope. For the shipping process, read our paternity testing in different states guide.
Example 3: The alleged father has died, but relatives are available
An adult woman has identified a possible biological father who is deceased. A known biological child of that man is willing to participate, and the woman wants to understand whether sibling testing could help.
- She should describe the known family relationships before ordering. Depending on the available people, the team may discuss sibling, grandparent or aunt/uncle testing, or an approved alternative sample from the deceased man. The appropriate route depends on the biological relationships and usable samples available.
- An indirect relationship test is not interchangeable with a direct father-child comparison. AABB's relationship testing guidance explains that these cases can be inconclusive and that additional family information or participants can help. A sibling result should not automatically be presented as a direct paternity report about the deceased man.
What should adult participants agree on before ordering?
Agree on the purpose of testing and the practical arrangements before collecting samples. This is especially helpful when the people involved have only recently connected or have different expectations about the result.
- The relationship being evaluated: identify the particular adult child and alleged father. Tell the team if possible fathers are close biological relatives or if other relationships in the case are uncertain.
- Participation and sample authorization: each adult should agree to participate. A family connection or payment for the kit should not be treated as permission to submit another person's DNA. Only submit samples you are legally authorized to provide.
- Collection and shipping: decide where each person will receive materials and when they expect to return them. Contact the team before ordering if more than two addresses or international shipping are involved.
- Report recipients: identify who is authorized to receive the report and record the delivery details on the completed Result Notification Form. Ask the specialist to resolve any uncertainty about separate copies before testing.
- Sharing beyond the participants: discuss whether and how you want to tell other relatives. The laboratory report answers a biological question; the decision about a wider family conversation deserves its own discussion.
You can ask My Forever DNA about the collection process and report wording without promising anyone a particular outcome. If either person is not ready to participate, pause the arrangements rather than assuming that a secretly collected personal item is an acceptable substitute.
Are you confirming a possible father or trying to find him?
You have a specific possible father
A direct paternity test is useful when you have a particular man whose relationship you want evaluated. It compares the submitted samples from that case. It does not search a database to locate an unidentified father from your sample alone.
You are still trying to identify him
Genealogy and DNA-matching services serve a broader discovery purpose. They can reveal previously unknown relatives, including parent-child relationships when the relevant people have tested. MedlinePlus explains this distinction between ancestry estimates and kinship information from consumer DNA testing. An ethnicity estimate alone does not identify a particular father.
If family research or a DNA match points to a specific man and you want a separately arranged paternity comparison, discuss testing with him and choose the appropriate participant setup. Our ancestry and relationship testing comparison explains the different services. If that person cannot participate, the available relatives or samples determine what can be evaluated next.
How do collection, processing and private results work?
Collect and label
Each participant follows the kit instructions and provides their own cheek-swab sample. Keep collection materials separate, label each person's sample envelope correctly, allow swabs to dry as instructed and include the completed paperwork. For the full collection walkthrough, use our general paternity testing guide.
Return and processing
Standard shipped U.S. paternity kits include prepaid FedEx shipping both ways. The standard cheek-swab laboratory turnaround is typically 1 to 3 business days after all required samples and completed forms have been received, accepted by the laboratory and placed into processing. Shipping time is additional, and weekends and holidays do not count as laboratory business days. A sample that needs recollection or missing paperwork can extend the process.
Receive the report
The PDF report is delivered by email to the authorized recipients listed on the completed Result Notification Form. There is no online portal or barcode registration requirement. Your Dedicated DNA Specialist can help explain the report by phone or email; phone support is separate from delivery of the written report.
Read the conclusion
Read the actual conclusion for the tested pair. A result supporting paternity applies to that father-child relationship. An exclusion does not identify who the biological father is instead. Our paternity results guide explains the report's probability figures and terminology.
Frequently asked questions about adult paternity testing
Does my mother have to participate if I am an adult?
No. A standard case can compare the alleged father and adult child directly. A known biological mother's sample can be included as an optional reference for the paternity analysis. That reference does not include a separate maternity determination. See our father-and-child-only guide for the usual setup.
Is a paternity test less accurate because the child is now an adult?
Adult participation does not require a different type of paternity analysis. My Forever DNA's standard kit is suitable for all ages and describes results typically showing 99.999% or higher probability when paternity is confirmed, or 100% exclusion. Suitable samples and accurate case information remain important at any age.
How much does a paternity test for an adult cost?
There is no separate adult-age surcharge. The standard kit currently costs $139 for one alleged father and one child. The two-address U.S. multi-location kit starts at $184 for those same two participants. These shipped options include laboratory testing and prepaid U.S. FedEx shipping both ways. Check the cost guide for additional participants and other configurations.
Can two adult siblings test against the same possible father?
Yes. A multi-child paternity case can include adult sons or daughters. Each person needs a separate sample and an individual father-child comparison; one person's result does not establish another's. The two-child paternity kit is one option when the same alleged father and two adult children participate.
Can I use an adult paternity result for inheritance or a birth certificate change?
Confirm the requesting authority's requirements before collecting. A self-collected home test is for personal knowledge. Official uses may require verified identity and documented chain of custody, along with other requirements specific to the matter. My Forever DNA offers legal DNA testing in Omaha; ask about the appropriate arrangements before ordering.
What if the possible father refuses to provide a sample?
Do not assume you can submit his personal items because you are seeking a family answer. Review the lawful and authorized options before collecting anything. Willing biological relatives may offer an indirect testing route, but that evaluates a different comparison and may not be conclusive. The father-unavailable guide linked above explains the options to discuss with the team.
Choose the next step for your adult paternity case
If both adults are willing and can collect at one address, start with the standard paternity kit. If they live apart, use the multi-location option and coordinate the return of both sets of samples. If the possible father is unavailable or unidentified, first establish which people or samples could support the question you want answered.
Contact My Forever DNA if you need help choosing the case. Explain who is available, where collection will happen and whether you need the result for personal or official use.
Sources and service information
- My Forever DNA: the standard and multi-location paternity products linked above, for adult participation, current prices, shipping, processing and result delivery.
- AABB: Relationship Testing News, July 2022, for limitations of indirect relationship testing and the importance of family information.
- AABB: DNA Relationship Testing FAQs, for the role of documented chain of custody.
- MedlinePlus Genetics: What do the results of direct-to-consumer genetic testing mean?, for the distinction between ancestry estimates and kinship information.
