Accurate, Affordable DNA Testing in Lakeville, MN – 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. The Minnesota Department of Human Services explains that either parent can request genetic testing through the county child support office when they want proof that a man is the biological father before he is named the legal father, and that county offices can set up testing with a designated lab as described on the state’s page on genetic testing to determine the biological father. Minnesota Judicial Branch materials, including the paternity FAQ, also note that parents can sometimes arrange genetic testing on their own if both sides agree, or they can ask the court to order testing as part of a paternity case in District Court.

Minnesota Statutes § 257.62 on blood and genetic tests provides that the court or a public authority may, and upon request of a party must, order the child, mother, or alleged father to submit to blood or genetic testing in a parentage case. The statute states that if accredited lab results show a 99 percent or greater likelihood that the alleged father is the biological father (using a prior probability of no more than 50 percent), there is an evidentiary presumption of paternity, and the party opposing paternity must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is not the father. The Minnesota Judicial Branch paternity FAQ explains that a parent or county attorney can file a paternity case, the court may order genetic testing, and once paternity is established the court can also address child support, custody, and parenting time in the same case.

Most legal paternity tests in Minnesota use buccal‑swab (cheek‑swab) samples collected from the mother, alleged father, and child, though blood can also be used. The Minnesota Department of Human Services’ page on genetic testing to determine the biological father explains that cotton swabs are rubbed firmly against the inside of each person’s cheek to collect cells or, in some cases, blood is drawn from the arm, and samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis. County child‑support sites, such as Rice County’s page on child support and paternity, similarly state that samples from the mother, father, and child are sent to a lab for genetic testing and that test results are used by the court to establish parentage.

For at‑home kits, use the sterile swabs provided, rub firmly along the inside of each cheek for the full time listed in the kit instructions, allow the swabs to air‑dry, and place them in the labeled envelopes before mailing them back to the lab. General DNA‑testing guidance used by Minnesota families emphasizes avoiding food, drink, or smoking for at least 30 minutes before swabbing so the sample is clean and uncontaminated. Minnesota Judicial Branch and county child‑support FAQs, including St. Louis County’s child support FAQs, stress that while private tests may be useful for personal information, court and child‑support cases usually require genetic testing arranged through the child support office or ordered by the court so that collection follows chain‑of‑custody rules and results are admissible.

GameDay DNA provides results through a secure online portal or encrypted email, with printed reports available for legal tests when needed. The Minnesota Department of Human Services notes that when testing is set up by a county child support office using a designated laboratory, the county initially pays the cost and receives the results directly, which are usually available within a few weeks and then used in court to establish parentage, as described on the genetic testing – biological father page. The Minnesota Judicial Branch paternity FAQ explains that once genetic testing and any hearings are complete, the court issues written orders that state whether the alleged father is the legal father and set any support or parenting‑time terms, which formally document the outcome of the testing.

Yes—DNA test results that meet Minnesota’s statutory requirements are widely used as evidence in paternity cases. Minnesota Statutes § 257.62 on blood and genetic tests provides that test results from a laboratory accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks are admissible, and that if results show a 99 percent or greater likelihood of paternity, there is an evidentiary presumption that the alleged father is the biological father. Paternity‑law summaries, such as the overview of Minnesota legal DNA paternity testing laws and statutes, emphasize that courts and public authorities rely on these test results to establish parentage, change birth certificates, and decide child support, immigration, and benefit claims when proper chain‑of‑custody procedures are followed.

In Minnesota, a paternity case can be started by the child’s mother, the alleged father, the child (through a representative), or a county or state agency when public assistance is involved. The Minnesota Judicial Branch paternity FAQ explains that a parent or county attorney files papers in District Court where the child or other party lives, and that the court may order genetic testing on its own or at the request of a public agency, the mother, or the alleged father as part of deciding whether the alleged father is the legal father. The Minnesota Department of Health’s page on birth records and parentage further notes that unmarried parents can establish legal paternity without court by signing and filing a Recognition of Parentage (ROP) form, which adds the father to the birth record and has the same force as a court order unless later challenged.

In special situations where the alleged father is deceased or cannot be tested directly, Minnesota courts may order genetic testing of the putative father’s blood relatives and consider those results along with other evidence. A Minnesota family‑law overview on the paternity determination process explains that if the named father is dead, the court may order blood relatives to submit DNA samples for testing, and that an involuntary testing order is possible when public benefits such as Social Security or veterans’ benefits depend on establishing paternity. Minnesota Statutes § 257.62 on blood and genetic tests confirms that the court or public authority may require parties to submit to testing and that results showing a 99 percent or greater likelihood of paternity create a presumption of biological fatherhood, which guides the court’s decision even in complex cases.