How to Choose a Paternity Testing Laboratory in Australia

If you search online for a paternity test in Australia, you’ll find plenty of companies offering DNA testing. What may be less obvious is that not every company selling a paternity test is actually a DNA testing laboratory. Some providers operate their own laboratory in Australia. Others collect orders and send samples to another laboratory for testing, which may be located overseas.

For an at-home paternity test undertaken simply for your own peace of mind, you have considerable choice. But before choosing a provider based on price or turnaround time alone, it is worth knowing who will actually perform your test, where your samples will go and what accreditation the laboratory holds.

Here are some of the questions worth asking before you buy.

1. Is the company actually a laboratory?

A professional-looking DNA testing website does not necessarily belong to a laboratory.

Some DNA testing companies operate as brokers or resellers. They sell the test, send you a collection kit and provide customer service, but the actual DNA analysis is performed by another laboratory.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this model. However, you should be able to find out which laboratory will perform your test.

Before ordering, consider asking:

• Does this company operate its own DNA testing laboratory?
• Where is the laboratory located?
• Will my samples remain in Australia or be sent overseas?
• Who will perform the DNA analysis?
• Which laboratory will issue my report?
• Can I contact the laboratory directly if I have a technical question about my results?

If a provider refers repeatedly to “our accredited laboratory” but does not identify the laboratory, it is reasonable to ask for its name and location.

At Identilab, the paternity testing laboratory and the company you order your test from are the same organisation. Samples are analysed by our scientists in our own laboratory in Brisbane.

2. Check the laboratory’s accreditation — not just the word “accredited”

Accreditation can be confusing because a laboratory may hold accreditation for one type of testing but not another. For parentage testing used for Australian family law purposes, the relevant question isn’t simply:

“Is the laboratory accredited?”

It is:

“Is the laboratory accredited by NATA for the purpose of carrying out parentage testing procedures?”

Under the Family Law Regulations 2024, a parentage testing procedure for the purposes covered by those Regulations must be carried out at a laboratory accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) for parentage testing procedures.

The Australian Government publishes a current list of laboratories accredited by NATA for this purpose. This provides a simple way to check a provider’s claims. If you’re purchasing a legally admissible paternity test, ask for the name of the laboratory performing the test and check whether that laboratory appears on the Australian Government’s current list.

Be particularly careful about statements such as:

• “ISO 17025 accredited”
• “internationally accredited”
• “accredited laboratory”
• “court admissible”
• “legal DNA test”

These descriptions may provide useful information about a laboratory, but they are not necessarily the same thing as NATA accreditation for parentage testing procedures under Australia’s Family Law Regulations.

3. Decide whether you need an at-home or legally admissible test

This decision should be made before samples are collected.

An at-home paternity test is suitable when the participants want the answer for their own information. Participants generally collect their own cheek swabs and return them directly to the laboratory.

A legally admissible test requires additional procedures to establish the identity of the people providing the samples and maintain the integrity of the samples throughout the process.

Under the Family Law Regulations 2024, there are specific requirements governing who may collect samples for a parentage testing procedure, documentation, sample handling and reporting.

If there is any possibility that you will need the result for a legal or official purpose, speak to the laboratory before ordering an at-home test.

You cannot simply turn an existing peace-of-mind result into a legally admissible result after the samples have already been collected.

4. Find out where your DNA samples are going

DNA is highly personal information, so it is reasonable to know where your biological samples and genetic information will be handled.

Ask the provider:

• In which country will my samples be tested?
• Does the company send samples to another laboratory?
• How long are samples retained after testing?
• How long are DNA profiles and reports retained?
• Who has access to my information?
• Are samples or DNA profiles used for any purpose other than the test I ordered?
• What happens to my sample after the retention period ends?

The answers should be available in the provider’s privacy policy, terms and conditions or laboratory policies. If they aren’t, ask.

5. Compare the total price, not just the advertised price

The cheapest headline price isn’t necessarily the cheapest test. Before comparing providers, check exactly what is included.

Potential additional costs can include:

• postage of the collection kit;
• return postage to the laboratory;
• adding another child;
• adding another alleged father;
• testing the mother;
• replacement collection kits;
• sample collection fees for legal tests;
• express processing;
• additional copies of reports;
• international collection or courier fees; and
• cancellation or refund fees.

Two tests advertised at similar prices can therefore have quite different final costs.

6. Check what happens if another person needs to be tested

Families don’t always fit neatly into a standard “one alleged father and one child” test.

You may need to test:

• two or more children;
• two possible fathers;
• the child’s mother;
• participants living in different Australian states;
• someone living overseas; or
• relatives instead of a parent.

Ask whether the laboratory can accommodate your particular circumstances and what additional charges apply. This becomes particularly important with Kinship testing such as sibling, grandparent or aunt/uncle testing, where choosing the most informative participants can significantly affect the strength of the result.

A laboratory should be able to advise you on the best testing strategy before you spend money unnecessarily.

7. Don’t choose a laboratory based on the number of DNA markers alone

DNA testing companies often advertise the number of genetic markers included in their paternity test. More markers can provide additional information, but the number of markers alone is not a measure of laboratory quality.

A reliable parentage test also depends on factors including:

• the suitability and validation of the testing method;
• laboratory quality controls;
• interpretation of the DNA profiles;
• appropriate population data and statistical calculations;
• procedures for detecting and resolving unusual results; and
• the qualifications and experience of the scientists interpreting and reporting the test.

A larger number on a website does not automatically mean a better paternity test.

8. Look at the result the laboratory actually reports

Before ordering, find out what you will receive.

A paternity report should clearly state the conclusion of the testing and provide the relevant statistical evaluation where paternity is supported.

Be cautious about choosing a provider solely because it advertises a very high percentage such as “99.9999% accuracy”. These percentages are often used as marketing shorthand and don’t tell you very much about the quality of the laboratory.

What matters is that the DNA profiles have been correctly generated, compared and statistically evaluated using an appropriate and validated parentage testing methodology.

9. Check whether you can speak to someone who understands the science

Most paternity tests produce straightforward results. Occasionally, they don’t.

There may be an unusual genetic result, a mutation, an unexpected relationship between participants, insufficient information from the people tested or a family situation that requires a different testing strategy. When this happens, access to someone who understands parentage testing becomes much more important than the convenience of an online checkout.

Consider whether the provider gives you access to the laboratory or appropriately qualified staff who can explain:

• what the result means;
• whether further testing is required;
• which additional relatives would be most informative; and
• whether the test is appropriate for the purpose for which you intend to use it.

10. Look beyond turnaround time

Fast results are useful, but turnaround time shouldn’t be considered in isolation.

Check when the advertised turnaround actually begins. It may mean:

• from the date you place the order;
• from when your samples arrive at the provider;
• from when samples reach an overseas laboratory; or
• from when all required participants’ samples have been received.

Also check whether the turnaround is expressed in calendar days or business days and whether an advertised timeframe is guaranteed or simply an estimate.

A paternity test is generally something you want performed correctly once. A difference of a day or two may be less important than knowing where your samples are being tested and who is responsible for the result.

Choosing an Australian paternity testing laboratory

There are many websites through which Australians can purchase DNA tests, but considerably fewer laboratories actually performing accredited parentage testing. Taking a few minutes to establish who is performing your test, where it is being performed and what accreditation applies can make comparing providers considerably easier.

Identilab is an independent Australian DNA testing laboratory located in Brisbane. We perform our parentage and relationship DNA testing in our own laboratory and are accredited by NATA to ISO/IEC 17025 for parentage and kinship testing.

If you’re unsure which type of DNA test is appropriate for your circumstances, contact our friendly scientific team before ordering. We can help you work out the most appropriate test and participants for your situation, explain your options and answer any questions you have, with no obligation and no pushy sales tactics.

Not sure which test you need? Contact the Identilab team on 1300 114 294 or [email protected]