How to do a dna test without someone knowing

As a top paternity testing lab, we often get asked how to do a DNA test secretly, without getting consent from participating parties. There are some situations where wanting to be sneaky about testing really can seem justified:

• If you have a partner that simply refuses to do paternity testing
• If an alleged father is in prison or otherwise unavailable for a test
• If you have a nagging relationship question and no one in your family wants to help find answers
• And so many more!

While we understand and sympathize with your frustration, there are some very strict rules in place for paternity testing such as who must or doesn’t need to know about and/or consent to a test. So can you do a secret test without consent? Here are some scenarios and some facts to go along with them.

‘I don’t want the mother to know I’m doing a DNA test with the child.’

If you are a man seeking paternity answers through a DNA test, you do not need the mother’s permission if you are listed on the birth certificate and are considered the legal father.

If you are not a legal parent or legal guardian of the child and the child is underage, you must get signed consent from the mother or other legal guardian. If the necessary consent isn’t provided up front, then the paternity testing cannot even start until the proper documentation is submitted.

‘My partner won’t test. Can I just send in a hair sample instead of a cheek swab?’

While hair specimens, blood, and even toothbrushes are accepted , paternity testing using DNA samples from these objects still requires  consent from all participants. Using special specimens is also much more expensive. There is a $150 non-refundable fee just for determining whether or not the special sample is viable for testing.  The quality of the DNA samples collected via cheek swabs and the ease with which the sample can be extracted is one of the factors that keep paternity testing affordable.

 ‘I’ve asked and asked, but my partner still won’t do a DNA test. Now what?’

You can do paternity testing without the father if he’s not willing to test, as long as the requirement for legal consent for a minor child and other participants is still met. We can test relatives, such as paternal grandparents, the child’s sibling, or even an aunt or uncle and fit the data from the DNA together like a puzzle in order to determine paternity. That being said, to maximize the chances of getting conclusive results, it’s important to have as many 1st degree relatives as possible participate, and the mother should also contribute her DNA. So although getting answers can be achieved this way, the test is much more expensive than a straight paternity test (lab fees start at $299), and there is a possibility of getting inconclusive results.

The Bottom Line about Paternity Testing without Consent

• The responsibility is on the customer who orders the test to ensure that all necessary consents have been obtained.
• Also keep in mind that home paternity testing results are not court-admissible, and so doing one in secret can have no legal benefit
• You can always petition the court and ask that your partner or former partner be compelled to test. A legal test can then be ordered

Complete honesty with a partner or former partner in these types of situations is always a practice we recommend. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but the peace of mind you get through home paternity testing is worth it!

Learn more about what to do if a partner refuses testing.

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Paternity testing can be stressful enough. Add the fact that you don’t want mom, child or maybe even the possible father to know about the testing and it becomes even more of a worry! You begin to think of ways to test for paternity without the other party knowing, maybe sending in some hair, toothbrush or other special specimens. So . . .

“How can I do a secret DNA test?”

This is a very common question asked by potential IDENTIGENE clients when they call us. Many people are looking for a way to test without one or more persons knowing. Want to know how?

ANSWER: All legal DNA tests require a consent signature from the person whose samples were submitted. Samples provided for minors under the age of 18 need to have the consent form signed by a legal guardian.  So if you want to do a legal paternity test using cheek-swab samples for mother, potential father, and child, it cannot be secret.

‘So can I send in a toothbrush or some hair?’

ANSWER:Yes, but the special specimen test still requests  consent from all participants or samples will not be tested. Also, very specific criteria must be met in order for us to accept these types of samples for testing.

Here are some of the details about special-specimen testing:

• Our lab must do a viability test for special specimens first, to determine whether enough DNA can be extracted. The testing fee for viability is non-refundable.
• The lab needs more information such as what the sample is, how old the sample is, and how much of it there is.
• Special specimen testing is $150 plus the relationship test lab fee.
• Keep in mind that processing a special specimen does not guarantee there will be sufficient DNA for testing.

‘I don’t want testing to be secret, but they refuse to send in or provide a DNA sample. So what can I do?’

You’ve already tried talking to the person, letting them know the benefits of finding the truth and having a peace of mind, but they won’t budge. This is an issue we hear all the time and we sympathize! This is when other relationship testing comes in handy.

ANSWER: IDENTIGENE offers Grandparent, Sibling, and Avuncular DNA tests. We understand there are circumstances when a participant is not available or willing to test. These tests provide a way to answer paternity questions using first-degree relatives. Keep in mind that all test types will require consent from the participants sending in their DNA.

The bottom line

‘Honey, I want a paternity test,’ may not be your favorite conversation starter, and an even more difficult one to hear. When it comes to paternity testing, we believe honesty really is the best policy. Consent for the child and other participants must come first.

Read about how to ask your partner for a paternity test

 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! If you have questions about paternity tests or other DNA testing services, please contact our  Client Support Center at 888-404-4363, Mon-Fri  from 9 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time. Our friendly, expert representatives are ready and happy to help. Get answers anytime by visiting our Help Center.