Answers to your
most common questions.

A legal (court-admissible) DNA test requires strict chain-of-custody documentation, government-issued ID verification of all parties, and specimen collection by a neutral third party. Home tests are for personal knowledge only and cannot be used in court proceedings, child support cases, or immigration petitions. All Coastal Paternity collections are court-admissible.

For standard paternity and relationship testing, we use a simple, painless buccal (cheek) swab. For prenatal NIPPT/NIMPT testing, a blood draw is required from the mother. All collections use tamper-evident packaging with full chain-of-custody documentation.

Our AABB-accredited laboratory partner delivers results with greater than 99.9% accuracy for inclusion and 100% accuracy for exclusion of biological parentage. Results are certified and defensible in any court proceeding.

Standard turnaround is 2–3 business days from the date specimens are received at the laboratory. Express reporting is available for NIPPT/NIMPT prenatal testing and select other services — ask us when booking.

Yes. We offer postmortem DNA testing as well as sibling, grandparent, and extended kinship testing that can establish biological relationships when a direct participant is unavailable. Contact us to discuss the options for your specific situation.

Yes. Our laboratory partner is AABB-accredited, which is the standard required by USCIS and U.S. embassies for immigration visa petitions. We provide all required documentation for submission with your immigration application.

We offer urine, hair, and nail drug testing panels, as well as breathalyzer alcohol testing. Each method has a different detection window — urine detects recent use (days), hair detects use over the past 90 days, and nail testing provides the longest window of up to 12 months.

Yes. All collections follow strict chain-of-custody protocols with government-ID verification and tamper-evident specimen handling — meeting the evidentiary standards required by family courts for custody, divorce, and court-ordered testing.

Yes. Hair and nail testing can detect alcohol metabolites over extended periods. Nail testing provides the longest historical detection window available and is often requested in custody cases where ongoing alcohol use is a concern.

Our standard panels screen for commonly tested substances including marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, and PCP. Extended and custom panels are available — contact us to discuss your specific testing needs.

NIPPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Testing) confirms biological paternity from as early as 7 weeks of pregnancy using a maternal blood draw and a cheek swab from the potential father. NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing) is a chromosomal health screening used to detect conditions like Down syndrome — it does not confirm parentage. These are two completely different tests.

NIMPT (Non-Invasive Maternity Testing) confirms biological maternity prenatally. This is particularly relevant for gestational surrogacy cases where confirmation of the intended mother's biological relationship to the baby is needed before or at delivery.

Legal parentage documentation confirms the intended parents' legal rights — but it does not provide independent biological verification. Hospitals accept paperwork at face value without performing any biological confirmation. Our Reproductive DNA Confirmation service provides that independent biological layer of certainty for intended parents, ART attorneys, and hospital risk management alike.

Absolutely. We work closely with ART attorneys and surrogacy agencies throughout the Eastern Corridor to coordinate collection timing, documentation requirements, and result delivery. Contact us to discuss how we can integrate with your existing legal and agency workflow.

Most health insurance plans do not cover legal DNA paternity testing or court-ordered drug testing as these are considered legal services rather than medical procedures. We accept major credit cards and offer CareCredit financing — a healthcare credit option that allows you to spread payments over time.

Yes. We are a CareCredit provider, which means you can apply for financing and use it to cover the cost of your testing services. CareCredit offers flexible payment plans with promotional financing options. You can apply at carecredit.com or ask us at the time of booking.

Collections can take place at our Beaufort, SC office, at an attorney's office, at a hospital, or at another agreed-upon location. For IVF and gestational surrogacy cases, we offer mobile collection. Contact us to discuss the best arrangement for your situation.

You can book online 24/7 through our scheduling page at coastalpaternity.setmore.com, or call us at (855) 521-1DNA during business hours. We'll confirm your service type, answer any questions, and coordinate all parties involved.

All parties being tested must bring a valid, government-issued photo ID (driver's license, state ID, or passport). For minors, a parent or legal guardian must be present with their own ID and the child's birth certificate or documentation establishing guardianship.