DNA Testing in North Carolina

North Carolina State Requirements

North Carolina does not require a prescription or doctor's order for a DNA paternity test. Under N.C.G.S. section 49-14, paternity of a child born out of wedlock may be established by civil action any time before the child's eighteenth birthday, and proof must be by clear, cogent and convincing evidence. Genetic testing meets that standard when it shows a probability of parentage of 97 percent or higher. An affidavit of parentage may be set aside after 60 days only on grounds such as fraud, duress, mutual mistake or excusable neglect, together with testing showing the signer is not the biological father. For a result to be used in court, the test has to be performed by an accredited laboratory with a completed chain-of-custody form, which means samples are collected at a certified site and everyone tested shows government ID. A home kit gives you a private answer but is not accepted for child support, custody or a birth certificate change. Call and we will confirm which test your situation needs.