DNA & paternity testing in Chicago

What DNA testing costs in Chicago

These are our prices. The $165 and $185 paternity prices are all-in for one alleged father and one child. The mother may take part if she wishes; she is not required.

Both paternity prices are all-in for one alleged father and one child. The mother may take part if she wishes, at no additional charge, and she is not required for a valid result. The only difference between $165 and $185 is that one is a legal test and one is not: who is collected and what the laboratory does are the same.

Paternity is booked online or walk-in. Prenatal paternity is not booked online — call 847-258-3966 to arrange the consultation first.

Paternity DNA testing

The most requested DNA test. A cheek swab from each person, analysed by our AABB-accredited partner lab, Endeavor DNA. Choose informational (peace-of-mind) or legal, court-defensible results — the laboratory work is identical; what changes is how the sample is collected and documented.

• ✓ Fast, accurate results
• ✓ AABB-accredited partner-lab testing (Endeavor DNA)
• ✓ Court-defensible option available
• ✓ Convenient Chicago-area location

Walk in during business hours or book a time that works for you.

Not sure which you need? Call us — we'll help you choose.

What makes a DNA result court-admissible

A legal DNA test is not a different laboratory test. It is the same analysis, at the same AABB-accredited partner lab, with one difference: the sample is collected and handled under chain of custody — a documented record that the samples tested came from the people named, and were not switched or tampered with on the way to the lab. That record is what a legal test produces and an informational test does not.

What chain of custody means at your appointment

• Each person's identity is verified against a government-issued photo ID.
• Each person is photographed at the time of collection.
• The cheek swab is collected by trained TrueTest staff, not self-collected.
• Samples are sealed and labelled in tamper-evident packaging.
• Chain-of-custody paperwork is completed, and the samples are tracked from collection through laboratory processing.
• Delivery of the results is documented.

The appointment takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The father and the child do not need to come in together: the mother can bring the child and the father can come at a different time, and the samples are held and matched. An informational test skips the photographs and the chain-of-custody paperwork — which is why it can be collected at home, and why it cannot be used later if the question ends up in front of a court.

Who can order a legal test

You do not need a court order. Most legal paternity tests are arranged voluntarily by the people involved, and a voluntarily obtained chain-of-custody result is the same document as one a judge ordered. If a court has ordered testing, bring the order to the appointment. Legal results are used for custody and parenting-time matters, child support, immigration petitions (USCIS), amending a birth certificate, and estate and probate questions. The results can go to you, to your attorney, or be filed with the court, as you direct.

What to bring

Bring a government-issued photo ID.

Testing the mother strengthens the result; she is not required. If you are unsure whether your situation calls for a legal test, call 847-258-3966 before you book — it is a two-minute conversation, and it avoids paying twice.

Prenatal DNA testing

Confidential prenatal paternity testing with professional guidance. A simple blood draw from the mother — no risk to the baby — and a cheek swab from the father. Available in informational and legal forms.

• ✓ Non-invasive blood draw from mother only
• ✓ Mother must be at least 10 weeks pregnant
• ✓ Consultation required before scheduling
• ✓ Confidential & professionally handled

Appointments scheduled by phone only.

Pregnant and need a paternity test? What testing while pregnant involves, and what it costs →

Other DNA testing services

We offer a full range of relationship DNA testing. Contact us for details and pricing on any of the following:

DNA testing near you in the Chicago area

The laboratory does the analysis; the collection site does the collection. Two Chicago-area sites that send samples to the same AABB-accredited lab will return the same result — what differs is the price you pay, how the collection is handled, and whether the result will hold up if you need it to. Whoever you use, ask three things before you book: which accredited laboratory processes the test, whether the collection is done under chain of custody, and what the total cost is with every fee included.

Ancestry-style kits are built for a different purpose. They do not establish paternity for a legal matter and carry no chain of custody, so a kit result cannot be used in court, for child support, or for immigration. If the question might reach any of those, the kit is money spent on a test you will have to repeat.

Our office

TrueTest Labs is at 2256 Landmeier Rd Ste A, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 — off I-90 and Route 53, with free parking. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 4:00. Walk in for paternity testing, or book a time online; prenatal testing is scheduled by phone.