Same-day paternity test in San Diego
Need to get swabbed today? Appointments are available the same day, seven days a week, 8 AM to 11:30 PM, in a private office at 402 W Broadway downtown. Book a time, come in together with photo ID, and the collection takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
Same-day appointment · report typically 3 to 4 business days after the laboratory receives the samples
See today's open timesLegal $399 · private $279 · mother included free · nothing to pay today, you pay at your visit
What "same day" means here
The appointment is same day. The result is not. Your sealed samples travel overnight to an independent AABB-accredited laboratory, which typically processes a paternity case in one to three business days after it arrives. Most reports come back within three to four business days of your appointment. Anyone who promises a DNA result the same day is describing something we don't offer and wouldn't recommend relying on.
What you get today: the hard part done. Everyone swabbed, every form completed, ID checked, samples sealed and on their way. There is no kit to wait for and nothing to mail back.
How to get tested today
- Pick a test and a time. Book online in about two minutes. Open times for today show on the booking page; nothing to pay today, and we text you to confirm.
- Round up everyone being tested. The alleged father and the child, plus the mother if she is participating (free, and it makes the result statistically stronger). Everyone comes to the same appointment.
- Bring government photo ID for every adult. For a child under 18, the consenting parent or guardian brings their ID. If the parents are not married to each other, the child's mother consents.
- No food, drink, gum or smoking for 30 minutes before the swab. That is the only preparation.
- Come in. We complete the paperwork, check ID, swab each person for about 30 seconds, and seal and label the samples in front of you. You pay at the visit, card or cash, before collection begins.
Legal or private, both same day
A legal paternity test ($399) adds photo ID verification, a neutral witnessed collection and a chain-of-custody record, and the laboratory mails a notarized hard-copy report. A private paternity test ($279) is the same laboratory analysis for your own knowledge, with a PDF report. Both are collected at the same appointment length; the legal test takes about ten minutes longer for the documentation. If a court, agency or attorney might ever ask for the result, choose legal now, because a private result cannot be upgraded later.
Evenings and weekends
Most collection sites keep business hours. We take appointments until 11:30 PM every day, including Saturday and Sunday, because the people who need this test usually can't all get off work at 2 PM on a Tuesday. Evening and weekend appointments cost the same as daytime ones.
"Paternity test near me": where we are and where we go
The office is at 402 W Broadway, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92101, in downtown San Diego near the Civic Center and America Plaza trolley stops. If coming downtown isn't practical, we also collect at your home or workplace anywhere in San Diego County for a travel fee quoted by location: Chula Vista, National City, El Cajon, La Mesa, Escondido, Oceanside, Carlsbad and everywhere in between. Mobile visits follow the same ID, consent and chain-of-custody rules. Request one on the contact form.
Today at a glance
Open times update live from our calendar. If today is full, tomorrow morning usually isn't.
Same-day questions
Can I get paternity test results the same day?
No, and no accredited laboratory process works that way. The same-day part is the appointment. Samples ship overnight to the laboratory, which typically reports within one to three business days of receiving them, so most reports arrive three to four business days after your appointment. We never quote a guaranteed date.
Can I walk in without an appointment?
The office is by appointment only, so that every family has the room to themselves. Same-day times are usually available; booking takes about two minutes and the open times show on the booking page. If you are already downtown, book the next open slot and come over.
How fast can I be seen after booking?
Bookings need at least one hour's notice so the room and the collector are ready. In practice most same-day bookings are for a slot a few hours out. Evenings usually have the most availability.
Can the father come now and the child later today?
No. Everyone being tested attends the same appointment. The laboratory must receive the samples together, which is also what lets us include the mother at no charge. If one person truly can't attend, they are booked as an additional participant ($129) and we coordinate the case with the laboratory.
Is a same-day legal test the same procedure?
Yes. The chain-of-custody steps (ID verification, neutral witnessed collection, sealed and signed samples, custody form) are the same whether you booked a week ago or an hour ago. The only difference is the appointment runs about 15 minutes instead of 10.
What does a same-day paternity test cost in San Diego?
The same as any other day: $399 legal or $279 private for the alleged father and child, mother included free, all in. There is no same-day surcharge. See what a paternity test costs in San Diego for the full breakdown and how it compares.
Open today until 11:30 PM
Pick a time, come in together with ID, and pay at your visit.
Book a same-day appointment