DNA Testing - Ontario, CA
Health Street provides DNA tests and legal paternity testing in Ontario, California at 3 conveniently located testing laboratories. Call (909) 318-0370 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.
Page last updated 12/2/2024
Workforce Screening, Digitally Delivered
DNA Test - Ontario, California
Paternity Testing in Ontario, California
There are several types of DNA testing services that are offered at our Ontario 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:
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 Ontario 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:
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:
How to schedule a DNA Test in Ontario CA
Scheduling a DNA test at one of our Ontario 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 Ontario, plus many more throughout California 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 Ontario 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 Ontario 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 Ontario
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 California as well as nationwide, so we can test one party in Ontario 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 Ontario or elsewhere are shipped securely from our testing locations to a nationally certified laboratory.
Why Health Street
A Decade Plus of Experience
Health Street has provided DNA tests since 2010. We have provided DNA tests and paternity tests to thousands of people in Ontario as well as communities all across the nation.
Ontario, California - DNA Testing
Establishing paternity in Ontario, CA
In California, paternity can be established in three ways. Parents can sign a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage/Paternity (VDP), go to the court to establish paternity, or a child support agency can establish paternity. The method of establishing paternity usually depends on the situation.
The easiest way of establishing paternity is when both parents sign the VDP at the hospital when the baby is born. By signing a VDP, both parents' names will be on the birth certificate, and parents do not need to go to court to establish paternity. This declaration can also be signed later on, but there are specific steps to establish paternity after a birth certificate has been issued.
Either parent can file a court form and start the case to establish paternity via court, and during this case, they can also ask for visitation, custody, or child support. Be aware that most cases will involve a DNA test to prove who the biological father is. Based on the DNA test results, the judge can establish paternity. In most cases, this process is straightforward, and the genetic testing is performed by a simple cheek swab from the father and the child.
DNA test reunites Californian woman with the son she thought was dead
Tina had a baby when she was only seventeen years old. She lived with her abusive mother, who told her she could not keep the baby. The day following the child's birth, Tina's mother said her son had died because he was sick. The news was, of course, devastating. A few months later, Tina married Eric, and they had five more kids together.
Whenever it was supposed to be her firstborn son's birthday, Tina got depressed. Years later, her daughter encouraged her to take a DNA test. Tina agreed and could not believe what she had discovered when the results came back. Her mother had lied to her. Her firstborn son, who she thought was dead, was alive! He was adopted just a week after she thought she had lost him forever.
The family planned to meet. Although Eric was not the biological father of Tina's firstborn son, he accepted him as his own.
Locations
Clinic Hours for DNA Testing in Ontario, California
1101 S Milliken Avenue Ste C Ontario, CA 91761Neighborhoods Served in Ontario
Additional Services
Health Street offers a variety of other services, including: