Accurate, Affordable DNA Testing in Fort Thompson, SD – Legal & At‑Home Options

You can test at GameDay DNA collection sites or use an at‑home cheek‑swab kit for private peace of mind. For court or child‑support cases, many families work with the South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS), and DSS’s parent page for child support services and GameDay DNA’s overview of paternity testing in South Dakota explain that DSS can help parents establish paternity through a Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment or court order and may coordinate genetic testing with local clinics or labs as part of a child‑support case.

South Dakota’s paternity laws recognize both voluntary acknowledgments and genetic testing as ways to establish legal fatherhood. The DSS Voluntary Paternity Establishment brochure and the codified paternity chapter in South Dakota Codified Law 25‑8 explain that paternity can be established by a voluntary acknowledgment, by presumption in certain situations, or by court order after DNA testing, and that genetic test results showing a 99% or greater probability of paternity create a rebuttable presumption that allows DSS to establish a support obligation without a full trial.

Most legal paternity tests in South Dakota use buccal‑swab (cheek‑swab) DNA samples from the child and the alleged father, and sometimes from the mother. GameDay DNA’s article on paternity testing in South Dakota and local lab explainers on paternity testing in Sioux Falls describe how a technician gently swabs the inside of each person’s cheek to collect DNA, and note that this non‑invasive method is accepted for court‑admissible testing when performed under strict chain‑of‑custody procedures by an accredited lab.

For at‑home kits, use the sterile swabs in your kit, rub firmly along the inside of each cheek for the full time listed in the instructions, let the swabs air‑dry, and seal them in labeled envelopes before mailing. Consumer and legal summaries on South Dakota legal DNA testing law and GameDay DNA’s guide to paternity testing in South Dakota note that at‑home cheek‑swab kits can provide accurate answers for personal peace of mind, but only court‑ordered, chain‑of‑custody tests supervised by DSS, attorneys, or the courts are recognized as legal proof in South Dakota proceedings.

GameDay DNA provides results by secure online portal or encrypted email, with printed reports available for legal tests. When testing is arranged through DSS child‑support services, the DSS Voluntary Paternity Establishment brochure and GameDay’s South Dakota paternity overview explain that DSS or the court receives the certified lab report, uses 99%‑or‑greater probability results to create a presumption of paternity, and then issues support orders and paternity determinations, which are communicated to parents through DSS notices and court documents rather than directly from the lab.

Yes—South Dakota statutes expressly address when DNA results can be used to prove paternity. The codified paternity chapter South Dakota Codified Law 25‑8 states that genetic test results showing a threshold probability of paternity of 99% or more create a rebuttable presumption of paternity and allow DSS to establish a support obligation under §§ 25‑7A‑5 to 25‑7A‑8 without requiring additional proceedings, and child‑welfare guidance on the rights of unmarried parents in South Dakota confirms that courts must, on motion and for good cause, order genetic testing of the birth parent, child, or alleged genetic parent using scientifically accepted methods.

Either parent, the child (through a representative), or the South Dakota Department of Social Services may be involved in a proceeding to establish paternity. The DSS child support parents page and the child‑welfare fact sheet on the rights of unmarried parents – South Dakota explain that a mother, alleged father, or DSS can start a parentage action and request genetic testing, and that paternity actions may be brought during pregnancy or after birth under statutes such as SDCL 25‑8‑68, allowing courts to order tests and then issue paternity and support orders once results are available.

In special situations—such as when an alleged father is deceased or cannot be tested—South Dakota courts may use genetic testing of relatives or additional evidence to decide paternity, while also considering the child’s best interests. The statute on setting aside a presumption or prior determination of paternity based on genetic test results directs courts to weigh factors like the child’s age, existing relationships, and potential harm before changing an existing paternity determination, and the broader chapter in SDCL 25‑8 allows courts to order testing of the birth parent, child, or alleged genetic parent (or, by implication, other relevant parties) when parentage is in dispute.