A court-ordered paternity test generally costs between $300 and $500 for the DNA analysis itself, and total out-of-pocket costs usually land somewhere between $800 and $1,500 once you factor in court filing fees, process server charges, and collection-site costs. The person who files the petition pays those costs upfront. If the test confirms paternity, judges often shift some or all of the expense to the confirmed father. And when a state child support agency handles the case, federal law requires the agency to cover testing costs upfront, which can make the test effectively free to the person seeking it.
What the Lab Charges
The lab fee is the single biggest line item. A legal-grade paternity test runs roughly $300 to $500. A home DNA kit you buy online costs $30 to $200, but those results won’t hold up in court. The difference is chain of custody. For a court-admissible test, a trained collector verifies each participant with a government-issued photo ID, photographs the collection, and seals every sample in tamper-evident packaging. Same science, but without the documented chain the results have no legal standing.
Labs that perform court-admissible testing are accredited through AABB’s Relationship Testing Accreditation Program.1AABB. Standards for Relationship Testing Laboratories AABB standards require a minimum combined likelihood ratio of 100 for parentage cases, and most labs set their internal thresholds much higher, often at 10,000-to-1 or 100,000-to-1.2AABB. AABB Relationship Testing Technical Report 2024 A confirmed result almost always reflects a probability of paternity well above 99%. The test itself is a painless cheek swab from the child and the alleged father.
Collection-Site Fees
If the court sends you to a lab without a local office, you’ll visit a third-party collection site, usually a clinic, hospital, or independent sample-collection center. These appointments typically cost $25 to $100 per person. For a standard test with one alleged father and one child, that adds $50 to $200 to your total. Some labs fold collection into their quoted price, so ask before you book.
Court Filing and Service Fees
Getting a judge to sign a testing order means filing a motion, and courts charge for that paperwork. Filing fees vary widely by jurisdiction but commonly range from under $100 to several hundred dollars. The motion itself is usually a standard form from the court clerk’s office or the court’s website, and it asks for basic information about the parties and the child plus a short statement explaining why testing is needed.
You also have to formally notify the other party about the motion. That’s called service of process, and it protects the other party’s right to respond. A professional process server typically charges $20 to $100 per job, more if the person is hard to locate. Some jurisdictions let the county sheriff’s office serve papers at a lower flat rate.
Attorney Fees
You don’t have to hire a lawyer to file a motion for paternity testing. Many courts provide self-help resources and standard forms for unrepresented parties. But paternity cases usually ride alongside child support or custody disputes, and when a lawyer gets involved the fees quickly become the largest cost in the matter. Family law attorneys commonly bill $150 to $400 per hour depending on where you live. Even a straightforward paternity motion can eat several hours of attorney time between drafting, court appearances, and follow-up. If cost is a concern, your local legal aid office may offer free or reduced-fee help for people who qualify.
Who Pays
The petitioner pays upfront. That means the lab fee, the court filing fee, and the cost of serving the other party all come out of the pocket of whoever asks for the test. If results confirm paternity, courts frequently order the confirmed father to reimburse those expenses. Reimbursement rules vary by jurisdiction, and judges have discretion to allocate costs based on the parties’ finances and the outcome.
When a state child support agency handles the case under the Title IV-D program, the money picture changes. Federal law requires the agency to pay for genetic testing and lets it recoup those costs from the father if paternity is established.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 666 – Requirement of Statutorily Prescribed Procedures Federal regulations fill in the detail: the IV-D agency must cover testing costs upfront, and if paternity is confirmed, the agency can seek reimbursement from the alleged father who denied paternity. For people who aren’t on public assistance, the agency can charge a fee, but it can’t exceed the actual lab cost and can’t be set so high that it discourages people from using the service.4eCFR. 45 CFR 303.5 – Establishment of Paternity
Fee Waivers and Lower-Cost Paths
If you can’t afford the court filing fee, most courts have a fee-waiver process for low-income filers. Eligibility usually turns on receipt of certain public benefits, household income below a set threshold, or a showing that paying court fees would keep you from meeting basic needs. A fee waiver covers court-imposed charges like filing and service. It won’t cover the lab’s DNA testing fee.
For the lab cost itself, going through your state’s child support enforcement agency is often the most affordable route. The IV-D program is designed so that money doesn’t block someone from establishing legal parentage. The agency pays testing costs upfront and only pursues reimbursement after paternity is confirmed.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 666 – Requirement of Statutorily Prescribed Procedures You don’t have to be receiving public assistance to use IV-D services, though non-recipients may pay a modest application fee.
Prenatal Testing Costs More
If you need answers before the baby is born, a non-invasive prenatal paternity test (NIPP) is available but considerably more expensive. The test analyzes fragments of fetal DNA circulating in the mother’s bloodstream, paired with a cheek swab from the alleged father. Legal-grade prenatal testing generally costs $1,100 to $1,700 or more, roughly two to four times the price of a standard postnatal test. NIPP can usually be performed after the seventh or eighth week of pregnancy.
One caution: not every court accepts prenatal results, and admissibility varies by jurisdiction. If timing allows, waiting until after birth for a standard cheek-swab test saves a significant amount and avoids any admissibility questions.
Voluntary Acknowledgment Costs Almost Nothing
When both parents agree on paternity, a voluntary acknowledgment skips the court process and the lab bill altogether. Hospitals offer the paperwork at birth, usually at no charge. Parents can also sign an acknowledgment later through their state’s vital records office or child support agency, generally for a small administrative fee.
A signed acknowledgment carries the same legal weight as a court order once it becomes final. Federal law requires states to allow a 60-day rescission window after signing, during which either parent can change their mind. After that window, the acknowledgment can only be challenged by proving fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact. This path only works when there’s no real dispute about biological parentage. If either party has doubts, court-ordered testing is the right route, and the costs above are what to plan for.