DNA & Paternity Testing – Alice, TX

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Health Street provides DNA tests and legal paternity testing in Alice, Texas at 2 testing laboratories. Call (361) 209-7985 or schedule online. We offer legal paternity tests, sibling studies, grandparent DNA tests, avuncular (aunt or uncle) testing, and postmortem DNA testing to determine if people are biologically related.

Set up DNA testing appointments online. Test results can be used in court for child support or to change a birth certificate; it can also be used for simple peace of mind. Appointments can be scheduled together or separately. Legal DNA tests are done by cheek swab at our testing centers. We can also extract DNA samples from hair follicles, fingernails, and other specimens.

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DNA Test – Alice, Texas

Alice TX DNA Testing Locations

Paternity Testing in Alice, Texas

There are several types of DNA testing services that are offered at our Alice testing centers to validate close family relationships. The most commonly ordered DNA test is a legal paternity test to conclusively establish whether or not a man is the biological father of a child. Health Street’s 21 marker DNA paternity testing is the state of the art. Our paternity test results are statistically conclusive at the rate of 99.9% or greater.

Other DNA Tests

Relationship Tests to validate grandparent to grandchild, siblings, half-siblings, aunts, and uncles:

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Grandparent DNA Test (if the father is not available for testing)
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Sibling DNA Test (possible brothers, sisters, or half-siblings)
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Avuncular DNA Test (aunt/uncle and niece/nephew)

DNA tests such as sibling or avuncular studies, can sometimes come back with a result of less than 95% certainty. This is normal, especially if only two parties participate in the test. Adding an additional close relative to the test helps us learn more about the family’s DNA composition and typically leads to a more conclusive result.

Specimens we can test for DNA

The easiest and most reliable way to perform a genetic sample collection for a paternity test is by a swab of the inner cheeks. These skin cells, known as buccal cells, rub off easily onto cotton swabs and remain in place, to be extracted by our testing laboratories for analysis.

Other specimens, such as hair follicles, fingernails, and garments that might contain someone’s DNA, can also undergo lab testing to see if there is a match. These non-standard DNA tests are done by registering online for an Alternative Specimen DNA Test (Nails, Teeth, Fabric). Once registered, you ship the DNA sample to our lab. We’ll attempt to extract the DNA and compare it to a cheek swab of the other party.

Legal DNA Tests vs. “Peace of Mind” At-Home Tests

When deciding which type of DNA test is right for you, consider first what you might do with the results. In order for the results to hold up in court, the DNA specimen must be collected at a clinic using strict chain of custody procedures. The DNA testing technicians at our Alice test centers are trained to follow guidelines that ensure that the results can be used for legal purposes.

The results of our legal DNA tests can be used for any legal purpose:

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to change the name on a birth certificate
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to petition for child support
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to petition for survivor benefits
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for child custody arrangements
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to alter inheritance procedures or wills

Home tests offer more flexibility:

Home DNA tests are specimens containing DNA (or possible DNA) that are shipped to us for analysis. The results of these home tests cannot be used in court (since there is no way to prove whose specimens were actually sent). However, the tests are just as accurate and can provide peace of mind. At-home DNA tests also offer a lot more flexibility.

In addition to commonly mailed in DNA specimens like hair follicles, we can also extract DNA from other bodily fluids. We can even try and lift the DNA left on items like clothing, a toothbrush, or a straw. If we can get the DNA from the alternative item, we can then compare it to another person to see if they are related. Some examples include:

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Q-tips
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Stained garments
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Mucus and other bodily fluids
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Soda cans
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Chewing gum

How to schedule a DNA Test in Alice TX

Scheduling a DNA test at one of our Alice clinics is simple and fast, and we often have appointments available in the same week, though it’s always helpful to schedule in advance to make sure you get the time you want. We have clinics in Alice, plus many more throughout Texas and across the United States. During registration, we’ll show you the nearest locations so you can choose the one that’s most convenient. You’ll pick the times and days that you prefer.

You can set up separate appointments for each of the people being tested, either at the same location or at different locations. You’ll get an email and text message with your appointment information. There is no fee if you need to change the time or location of a DNA test appointment at any time.

How long it takes to get results of a DNA test

Paternity tests conducted at one of our Alice facilities typically take about a week to come back. Other relationship tests, such as sibling studies, can take a few days longer to come back. When the results are ready, you are notified immediately via email. Then, the hard copies of the paperwork are sent afterward via regular mail.

The DNA test appointment – what to expect and what to bring

The appointment itself only takes about 15 minutes. The specimen collection process is a simple and painless cheek swab. No needles are used. When you’re being tested at our Alice clinic, you’ll be asked to provide fingerprints and to show photo identification. We’ll also take pictures of the people being tested so that the final report will include legal assurances of who was actually tested.

For infants, hospital discharge papers qualify as identification. Otherwise, a birth certificate or social security card can be used as ID for a child. No other preparations are required for this appointment.

Does the mother need to be present at a paternity test?

If a man is considered the legal father of a child, then the mother does not have to be present or give consent for paternity testing. However, if he is not currently considered the legal father, then he cannot sign for the child. Therefore, the mother does need to be there. If neither parent is available, other legal guardians can bring the child so long as they have the right to make medical decisions on the child’s behalf.

DNA testing if one party is not in Alice

The two parties testing (for example: father and child) do not have to be tested at the same time or even at the same location. We have many clinics across Texas as well as nationwide, so we can test one party in Alice and the other party anywhere else in the USA. The specimens are then matched up in the lab for analysis.

Laboratory certifications

Health Street works strictly with AABB Certified labs for DNA testing. All specimens that are collected in Alice or elsewhere are shipped securely from our testing locations to a nationally certified laboratory.

Why Health Street

More than a Decade of Experience

Since 2010, Health Street has offered DNA tests in Alice, the state of Alice, Texas, and throughout the nation.  Since our founding, we have focused on helping people obtain the DNA and paternity tests that they need, from Alice to neighborhoods everywhere.

Commitment to Excellence

Our mission is to understand the DNA testing needs of our clients. We strive to provide the most accurate, fast, and conclusive paternity tests in Alice. 

Proving Paternity for Child Custody Purposes in Alice, TX

If you live in Alice and need to prove paternity for child custody or child support purposes, you can visit the Jim Wells County Child Support office located at 200 N. Almond Street. In Texas, the Attorney General advises that the best way to establish paternity is for a father to sign the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP) form.

However, if either parent is uncertain of who the child’s father is, the Texas Office of Attorney General (OAG) can assist in the process. The local Child Support office can order a paternity test. The parents and child can have their cheeks swabbed in court, at a local clinic, or at the local child support office.

DNA paternity tests can determine the biological father of a child with 99% accuracy, according to the Texas Attorney General. The OAG’s office will finalize paternity orders after lab test results are returned. Custody and visitation are decided by the 79th District Court, which is also located at 200 N. Almond Street in Alice.

Local DNA Stories

Searches for biological relatives who may be from Alice, Texas could be aided by visiting the Jim Wells County Texas Genealogy research page or the Alice Texas Family History Center. The Center conducts training and classes in genealogy research. It is located on Morningside Drive in Alice and conducts classes and training on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Visits to Texas newspaper abstracts, census reports, and place-name searches can all aid in locating DNA relatives and learning about family locations and members. Some records, like County probate records, can only be obtained by visiting the County courthouse.

Experts Say …

Texas was one of the first states in the U.S. to pass a “fertility fraud” law. Effective as of September 1, 2019, Texas SB 1259 makes it illegal to fraudulently use “human reproductive material” in fertility clinics. The law originated from a Dallas mother who discovered that the doctor at her fertility clinic was the father of her child, not the man she had believed to be her biological father.

When Eve Wiley’s four-year-old son developed health problems, further DNA testing uncovered that the doctor who owned the fertility clinic that her own mother had used was her biological father. “I had to be the one to tell my mother that this is what happened, and then I had to call the man who I had called Dad for the last 13 years and tell him he is not my biological father,” Wiley testified to the Texas Senate.

Neighborhoods in Alice Served by our Clinics

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Alice Acres Colonia
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Cameron St./Woodlawn Dr.
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Easterling
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Greenacres
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Rancho Alegre
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Lincoln Street
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North Alice
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Sagewood
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South Heights
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Washington Drive

Additional Services

We also offer other services, such as:

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Texas Background Check for Employers in Alice, TX

Citations

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“Jim Wells County, Texas, Genealogy.” Family Search.org, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Jim_Wells_County,_Texas_Genealogy Abbott, Greg.
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“Establishing Paternity at Birth Gives Children a Solid Start,” Alice Echo News Journal, 17 May 2013, https://www.alicetx.com/article/20130517/opinion/305179912
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“Court-Ordered Paternity Tests.” Texas Attorney General, https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/child-support/paternity/court-ordered-paternity
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“Alice Texas Family History Center,” Family Search.org, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Alice_Texas_Family_History_Center
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“Standing Orders in Suits for Divorce and Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship for the 79th Judicial District Court and the Jim Wells County Court At Law – Calendar Year 2020,” https://www.co.jim-wells.tx.us/upload/page/0128/docs/District%20Clerk/79th%20Judicial%20District%20Court%20and%20Court%20At%20Law%20Standing%20Orders%20For%20Divorce%20and%20Suits%20Affecting%20the%20Parent-Child%20Relationship%20-%202020.pdf Lindell, Chuck.
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“800 new Texas laws take effect Sunday – here’s what you need to know,” Alice Echo News Journal, 29 August 2019, https://www.alicetx.com/news/20190829/800-new-texas-laws-take-effect-sunday—heres-what-you-need-to-know
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“SB 1259.” Texas Legislature Online History, https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=SB1259 Nextdoor.
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“Discover Your Alice Neighborhood,” url: https://nextdoor.com/city/alice–tx/