DNA Testing - Sugar Land, Texas

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Health Street offers DNA testing, legal paternity tests, and sibling DNA tests in Sugar Land, Texas at 6 conveniently located testing laboratories. Register now, or call us at (281) 612-6491 with any questions. Our paternity testing (including grandparent DNA tests, avuncular (aunt or uncle) testing, and postmortem DNA testing) determines if two or more people are related.

Schedule your DNA test appointment online. Our legal DNA test results can be used in court for matters such as: child support, birth certificates, and custody cases. Appointments can be scheduled together or separately. Legal DNA tests are done by cheek swab at our testing centers. We also offer home DNA test kits for peace of mind. DNA can be tested from hair, fingernails, and other specimens.

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DNA Test - Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land TX DNA Testing Locations

Paternity Testing in Sugar Land, Texas

There are several types of DNA testing services that are offered at our Sugar Land 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 Sugar Land 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 Sugar Land TX

Scheduling a DNA test at one of our Sugar Land 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 Sugar Land, 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 Sugar Land 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 Sugar Land 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 Sugar Land

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 Sugar Land 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 Sugar Land or elsewhere are shipped securely from our testing locations to a nationally certified laboratory.

Why Health Street

Over a Decade of Experience

Health Street has been performing DNA testing nationally since 2010.  We have helped thousands of people from Sugar Land to communities all across the USA get DNA tests and paternity tests.

Dedication to Excellence

Our dedication to excellence includes our commitment to provide compassionate services and to helping people obtain the accurate DNA testing in Sugar Land that they need. 

Sugar Land, Texas - DNA Testing

How to Establish a Child's Paternity in Sugar Land

In the state of Texas, there are three primary ways to establish a child's legal paternity. According to attorneys at the Sugar Land Skillern Firm, if a man is married to a child's mother when the child is born, he is automatically presumed to be the child's legal father, and his name is placed on the birth certificate.

When a child's parents are not married, paternity can either be established voluntarily or involuntarily. If both parents agree, they can sign and file an Acknowledgment of Paternity form either at the hospital when the child is born or at a later date. Once the form has been processed, the man's name can be put on the child's birth certificate, and he has all the legal rights and responsibilities of parenthood. When the parents do not agree about the identity of the child's biological father, a court order is needed to establish legal paternity.

Filing a Paternity Lawsuit in Sugarland

The process of establishing paternity through the courts begins with filing a Petition to Adjudicate Parentage. Attorneys at the Sugar Land-based Puvvada Law Office state that the following parties are allowed to petition the courts for a paternity ruling:

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The child
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The child's mother
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A man who believes he is the child's father
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An adoption agency
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A child support agency
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A second-degree relative of the mother if the mother has died

f the child has a presumed father, then a petition for paternity must be filed within four years from the day the child is born. Once a child reaches the age of adulthood, only the child can initiate a petition for paternity.

Benefits of Establishing Legal Paternity

There are several reasons to go through the process of establishing legal paternity. Sugar Land Paternity Attorneys with the Kutty Law Firm acknowledge that although a child has the right to receive financial support from both parents, however, until legal paternity is established, the courts cannot order an alleged father to pay child support. Once paternity is established, the father can also request custody and/or visitation rights. In addition, legal paternity gives the child the right to receive any available Social Security, veterans' benefits, insurance, and/or inheritance from his or her father.

Last updated 1/31/2023

Neighborhoods in Sugar Land Served by our Clinics

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Barrington Place
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Booth
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Chelsea Harbour
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Crescent Lakes
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Grants Lake / City Plaza At Town Square
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Imperial / Quiet Cove
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Lakefield / Lakes Of Austin Park
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L J Pkwy / Winding Waters Ln
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New Territory Southeast
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Oak Lake Estates
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Riverpark
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Telfair / Meadow Lakes

Additional Services

Health Street offers a variety of other services, including:

Citations

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Sugar Land Paternity Rights Divorce Lawyer." Skillern Firm, https://skillernfirm.com/sugar-land-paternity-rights-divorce-lawyer/
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"Paternity." Kutty Law Firm, PLLC, https://www.kuttylawfirm.com/family-law/paternity/
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"Paternity." Puvvada Law Office PLLC, http://www.puvvadalaw.com/paternity.html
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"Sugar Land, TX Real Estate Market Data." Neighborhood Scout, https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/sugar-land