Accurate, Affordable DNA Testing in West Virginia – 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, parents commonly work with the state’s Bureau for Child Support Enforcement (BCSE), and the BCSE site explains how local offices help parents establish paternity and schedule genetic testing on its main Bureau for Child Support Enforcement portal and Paternity Frequently Asked Questions page, which note that once paternity is established, the agency will set a support hearing and order.

West Virginia law allows paternity to be established through BCSE administrative processes or through a family court action using medical or genetic testing. West Virginia Code § 48‑24‑103 on medical testing procedures to aid in the determination of paternity explains that BCSE or the court can order blood or tissue tests and that undisputed results showing a statistical probability of paternity of more than ninety‑eight percent legally establish the man as the father for all purposes, while BCSE’s paternity FAQ confirms that when paternity is established through genetic testing, BCSE schedules a support hearing to enter a child‑support order.

Most legal paternity tests in West Virginia use blood or tissue‑based genetic testing, which in practice is usually collected as buccal‑swab (cheek‑swab) DNA samples from the child and the alleged father, and sometimes from the mother. West Virginia Code § 48‑24‑103 on medical testing procedures authorizes “blood or tissue tests” to prove or disprove paternity and states that exclusionary test results are clear and convincing evidence of non‑paternity, while local family‑law firms that handle BCSE and court cases describe routine cheek‑swab DNA testing as the standard method used to generate those legally admissible genetic reports.

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. West Virginia paternity attorneys and consumer guides, such as those explaining paternity actions and DNA testing in West Virginia, note that private and at‑home tests use cheek‑swab samples similar to those collected in BCSE or court‑ordered cases, but only tests documented through proper chain‑of‑custody and ordered or accepted by the court or BCSE can be used as legal proof of paternity.

GameDay DNA provides results by secure online portal or encrypted email, with printed reports available for legal tests. When testing is arranged through BCSE, the agency’s paternity FAQ explains that BCSE orders the genetic testing, receives the results directly from the lab, and then uses those results at a support hearing to establish paternity and enter a child‑support order, so parents typically learn the outcome through the agency’s notice and subsequent court or administrative orders.

Yes—West Virginia Code § 48‑24‑103 and related provisions recognize genetic testing as valid evidence in paternity proceedings. The statute on medical testing procedures to aid in the determination of paternity states that undisputed blood or tissue test results showing a statistical probability of paternity of more than ninety‑eight percent legally establish the man as the father and constitute clear and convincing evidence, while exclusionary results must lead the court to dismiss the paternity action.

Either parent, the child (through an appropriate representative), or the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement may initiate a proceeding to establish paternity in West Virginia. Legal Aid of West Virginia’s guide on establishing paternity explains that a parent can ask BCSE to open a case and file in family court for genetic testing, and that once BCSE proves paternity through DNA testing, a support hearing is held, while the West Virginia Code provisions in article 24 of chapter 48 describe who is entitled to petition the court and request testing.

In special situations—such as when an alleged father is deceased or cannot be tested—West Virginia family courts may consider DNA evidence from relatives along with other proof to resolve paternity. West Virginia Code provisions on vital records and paternity in §16‑5‑10 and article 24 of chapter 48 allow amendments to birth certificates and recognition of paternity when genetic test results show more than ninety‑eight percent probability and when required affidavits and court findings are made, and Legal Aid WV notes in its establishing paternity guide that BCSE or the court can pursue DNA testing and supporting evidence in contested or complex cases.