DNA Testing in Pennsylvania: Legal Collection & At-Home Kits

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 their county Domestic Relations Section, and the Department of Human Services’ page on establishing paternity and the statewide Acknowledgment of Paternity form instructions explain that parents can either sign a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital or later, or contact Domestic Relations to open a support case and request genetic testing if paternity is contested.

Pennsylvania law requires courts or Domestic Relations Sections to order genetic testing when a party in a paternity action properly requests it. The paternity statute 23 Pa.C.S. § 4343 states that, upon a sworn request by any party, the court or Domestic Relations Section shall require the child and the parties to submit to genetic tests, that the Domestic Relations Section pays for the initial testing subject to recoupment from the alleged father if paternity is established, and that results showing a 99% or greater probability create a presumption of paternity, while appellate summaries and practice guides on Pennsylvania paternity statutes point to § 4343 and § 5104 (the Uniform Act on Blood Tests to Determine Paternity) as the main authority for court‑ordered testing.

Most legal paternity tests in Pennsylvania use buccal‑swab (cheek‑swab) DNA samples from the child and the alleged father, and often the mother. County Domestic Relations resources such as Paternity – Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania and Paternity for Child Support in Adams County explain that genetic testing to determine if a man is a child’s biological father is performed at a court‑approved site, where a staff member collects samples by gently swabbing the inside of each person’s cheek and sends them to a lab for analysis, with the 99%‑or‑greater probability results then discussed at a conference before court personnel.

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. Self‑help and court materials, including the Philadelphia Family Court brochure Paternity of Children in Philadelphia County and county FAQs such as What if paternity has not been established?, emphasize that legal DNA testing must be done through the Domestic Relations Office, where cheek‑swab samples are collected under strict chain‑of‑custody procedures, so private at‑home kits that are not court‑ordered cannot be used as legal proof of paternity in Pennsylvania.

GameDay DNA provides results by secure online portal or encrypted email, with printed reports available for legal tests. When testing is arranged through Domestic Relations, county guides like Paternity – Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania explain that after the mother, alleged father, and child are tested at a court‑approved site, the lab sends results to the court, and both parties are advised of the results at a scheduled conference before court personnel, where the case proceeds either to an agreement or to a hearing, with official orders reflecting the outcome.

Yes—Pennsylvania statutes and court rules specify how genetic tests are ordered, admitted, and challenged. The paternity statute 23 Pa.C.S. § 4343 and the Uniform Act on Blood Tests at 23 Pa.C.S. § 5104 authorize courts to order blood, genetic, or other tests and treat properly certified reports as admissible evidence, while Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure Pa.R.C.P. 1910.15 on paternity explains that once genetic testing has identified a man as the father under § 4343, his defense is limited to proving by clear and convincing evidence that the test results are not reliable.​

Either parent, the child (through a representative), or the state (through the Domestic Relations Section) can be involved in establishing paternity. The DHS establish paternity page and county FAQs such as What if paternity has not been established? explain that a mother, alleged father, or custodial caretaker can apply for child support services and request that paternity be established, after which Domestic Relations may schedule a conference and genetic testing under § 4343, while self‑help articles like Paternity in Pennsylvania note that paternity actions can be filed directly in court if support services are not already involved.

In special situations—such as when an alleged father is deceased or cannot be tested—Pennsylvania courts may allow alternative genetic testing and rely on the statutory presumptions. Practice summaries on paternity statutes explain that § 5104 (Uniform Act on Blood Tests to Determine Paternity) and § 4343 allow courts to order blood or genetic tests and to consider prior determinations of paternity made in other states, while court brochures like Paternity of Children in Philadelphia County emphasize that test results showing a 99% or greater probability are treated as very strong evidence; in cases where the alleged father is unavailable, judges may look to other statutory presumptions, existing acknowledgments, and available genetic evidence to decide parentage.