Frequently Asked
Questions

A legal paternity test follows strict chain-of-custody rules and is court-admissible. A non-legal test is private — used for personal peace of mind only. Both use the same AABB accredited lab and deliver 99.9% accuracy, but only the legal version holds up in court, for child support, immigration, or official records.

Yes — that is exactly how we work. We come directly to your home, office, hospital, or any agreed location across South Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland. You never need to visit a lab or sit in a waiting room. Call your nearest location — select your state below.

DNA paternity, siblingship, grandparent, avuncular, and twin zygosity results are typically ready in 2–3 business days after your samples reach our AABB accredited lab. Prenatal DNA test results take 5–7 business days. If you have a court deadline, expedited processing is available — call your nearest location.

Every adult being tested must bring a valid government-issued photo ID — a driver’s license, passport, or military ID. For children, bring a birth certificate or Social Security card. Do not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum for at least 30 minutes before the swab — this is the only preparation required.

Yes. Our legal DNA tests are fully court-admissible in Richland County Family Court, Lexington County Family Court, and courts throughout South Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland. Results are also accepted by USCIS for immigration cases and by the Social Security Administration.

No. A home DNA test kit cannot be used in family court in South Carolina or any other state. Courts require strict chain-of-custody documentation that begins with a certified collector verifying your identity and witnessing the sample collection. Home kits have no oversight.

You can get a non-invasive prenatal DNA test as early as 7 weeks pregnant. The test is completely safe — we only draw a small blood sample from the mother. No needles near the baby, no risk of miscarriage.

A siblingship test is the right choice when the father is not available to provide a DNA sample — whether he has passed away, lives out of state, is unwilling to participate, or is otherwise unavailable. Adding the mother’s sample makes results significantly stronger.

A 99.9% result means the tested man is confirmed as the biological father. Courts in South Carolina fully accept a 99.9% result and do not require 100%.

For legal testing, ideally yes — but it is not always required. We can collect from each party at separate locations on the same day. If someone lives out of state, we coordinate with partner collectors in their area.

Yes — DNA testing works for people of any age, including newborns. A cheek swab is painless and safe for babies. We recommend waiting at least 72 hours after birth. We also offer hospital bedside collection 24/7.

Yes. USCIS accepts DNA evidence to prove a biological relationship for immigration sponsorship cases. The testing must follow strict chain-of-custody procedures and be processed through an AABB accredited laboratory — both of which Odosek Lab Solutions provides.

AABB accreditation means the laboratory meets the highest quality standards in the industry — required by South Carolina courts, USCIS, Social Security, and government agencies for legal DNA testing. We never use non-accredited labs.

An infidelity DNA test detects whether a second person’s DNA is present on an item you submit — clothing, bedding, or personal items. Store suspected items in a clean paper bag — never plastic — before we arrive. We are available 24/7 and handle these situations with complete discretion.

Chain of custody is the documented, unbroken record of who collected your sample, how it was handled, and where it traveled from collection to the laboratory. Every step is logged and sealed. This documentation is what makes a DNA test legally admissible — without it, a judge can throw out the result entirely. Home kits have no chain of custody. Our certified collectors create and seal the chain of custody the moment we collect your sample.

An allele is one version of a gene at a specific location on a chromosome. Every person inherits one allele from each biological parent at each location. Labs compare alleles at 20 or more locations (called loci) between the child and the tested man. When alleles match consistently across all tested locations, the result confirms paternity. When they do not match, the man is excluded as the biological father.

STR stands for Short Tandem Repeat — a specific pattern of DNA that repeats at known locations in the genome. The number of times the pattern repeats varies from person to person, making it a reliable genetic marker for identification. AABB accredited labs analyze 20 or more STR loci to produce paternity results. The more loci tested, the more statistically definitive the result.

Probability of Paternity is the statistical likelihood that the tested man is the biological father compared to an untested, unrelated man from the general population. A result of 99.9% means there is a 99.9% probability the tested man is the biological father. South Carolina courts accept 99.9% as conclusive — 100% is a mathematical impossibility in genetic testing, so it is never reported.

Non-invasive means the test does not involve any procedure that enters the mother’s body beyond a standard blood draw. Older methods like amniocentesis required inserting a needle into the amniotic sac — carrying a risk of miscarriage. Our prenatal DNA test uses cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) — tiny fragments of the baby’s DNA that naturally circulate in the mother’s bloodstream as early as 7 weeks. No risk to the pregnancy whatsoever.

A buccal swab is a gentle cheek swab that collects skin cells from the inside of the mouth — completely painless and used for standard paternity, siblingship, grandparent, and avuncular testing. A blood draw is required only for prenatal DNA testing, where we collect cffDNA from the mother’s bloodstream. Both methods produce equally accurate results. Accuracy comes from the lab analysis, not the collection method.

We offer urine drug screens (5-panel, 10-panel, and 12-panel), hair follicle testing, and oral fluid (saliva) testing. We also offer breath alcohol testing administered by a certified Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT). All programs are SAMHSA-certified and DOT-compliant. We come directly to your workplace, home, or job site — you never send anyone to a facility.

DOT drug testing follows strict federal rules under 49 CFR Part 40 for safety-sensitive transportation roles — commercial drivers, pipeline workers, transit employees, and aviation workers. It requires a 5-panel urine screen, a SAMHSA-certified lab, and a Medical Review Officer to review results. Non-DOT testing gives employers more flexibility to choose their own panel and procedures.

A 5-panel drug test screens for five substances: marijuana (THC), cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP. Each substance has a cutoff level set by SAMHSA. This is the standard panel required by the DOT and the most common panel used by Columbia-area employers. A 10-panel adds benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, propoxyphene, and methaqualone.

Most urine test results for negative screens come back within 24 to 72 hours. Non-DOT negatives can come back in as little as 5 minutes on-site with rapid testing. If a result is positive, it goes for GC-MS confirmation — add one to three business days. Hair follicle results usually take 5–10 business days. Oral fluid results are typically 24–72 hours.

A hair follicle test looks back roughly 90 days. Drug metabolites are embedded inside the hair cortex as the hair grows, making them impossible to wash out with shampoos or home remedies. Detox shampoos simply do not work — the metabolites are inside the hair strand, not on the surface. Hair follicle testing is significantly harder to beat than urine testing.

Yes — certain medications can trigger a preliminary positive on the initial immunoassay screen. A Medical Review Officer (MRO) will contact you and give you the opportunity to explain your prescription. A valid prescription will be accounted for. Always inform the MRO of any medications before your test.

We respond immediately — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For DOT-regulated employers, post-accident testing must happen within specific time windows — 8 hours for alcohol, 32 hours for drugs. We are aware of these deadlines and move accordingly.

No. A store-bought kit will not satisfy a court order in South Carolina or any other state. Courts require results from SAMHSA-certified laboratories with proper chain-of-custody documentation. A drug store test has no chain of custody, no certified collector, and no MRO review.

Wellbutrin (bupropion) can trigger a false positive for amphetamines on the initial screen — but a GC-MS confirmation test will rule it out. Trazodone does not appear on the standard DOT 5-panel. Hydroxyzine can cause a false positive on an immunoassay screen but will also clear on confirmation. Always disclose prescriptions to the MRO — it protects you.

A Medical Review Officer (MRO) is a licensed physician trained to interpret drug test results. Before a positive result is reported to an employer, the MRO contacts the employee directly to determine whether a legitimate medical explanation — such as a valid prescription — accounts for the result. The MRO is the employee’s legal safeguard against false positives. Without an MRO, a result cannot be considered verified under DOT regulations.

SAMHSA stands for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — the federal agency that sets laboratory standards for workplace drug testing. A SAMHSA-certified lab meets strict federal quality, accuracy, and chain-of-custody requirements. DOT-regulated employers are required by law to use only SAMHSA-certified labs. Courts and probation programs also require SAMHSA certification. Results from non-certified labs are not legally defensible.

GC-MS stands for Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry — the gold standard confirmation method used when an initial immunoassay screen returns a non-negative result. The initial screen (immunoassay) is fast but can produce false positives. GC-MS confirmation is far more specific — it identifies the exact substance and its concentration. No result is reported as positive to an employer until it has been confirmed by GC-MS and reviewed by an MRO.

A cutoff level is the minimum concentration of a drug metabolite that must be present in a specimen for the result to be reported as non-negative. Results below the cutoff are reported as negative — even if trace amounts are technically detectable. SAMHSA sets federal cutoff levels for DOT testing. For example, the cutoff for THC metabolites in urine is 50 ng/mL on the initial screen and 15 ng/mL on GC-MS confirmation. Passive exposure or one-time light use may fall below the cutoff.

A Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a licensed clinician who evaluates DOT-regulated employees after a positive drug or alcohol test violation. The SAP determines what education, treatment, or follow-up testing is required before the employee can return to safety-sensitive duties. Completing the SAP program and receiving clearance is legally required before a return-to-duty test can be administered. You cannot bypass the SAP — the MRO and employer are both notified of SAP status.

An immunoassay screen is the rapid initial test — it uses antibody reactions to detect the presence of drug metabolites above the cutoff. It is fast (results in minutes on-site for rapid tests, or sent to the lab for full processing) but can produce false positives. It is a screening tool, not a definitive result. Any non-negative immunoassay result must be confirmed by GC-MS at a SAMHSA-certified lab before it is reported as a verified positive. The two-step process is what protects employees from false accusations.

Most background checks are completed within 24 to 72 hours, depending on which searches you need. Criminal history at the county level typically comes back fastest. State, federal, and employment verification searches take a little longer.

A thorough background check can include county, state, and federal criminal records; employment verification going back 7–10 years; education confirmation; sex offender registry checks; eviction history; liens and judgment filings; driving records; and credit history. Which level you need depends on your situation — we help you figure that out before we start.

Yes, it can — if the search is not set up correctly. County-level searches only pull records from that specific county. Someone could have a conviction in a neighboring county that never shows up. That is why we run county, state, and federal searches together. We do not cut corners on scope.

Yes, and most experienced property managers already know this firsthand. A background check shows criminal history, past evictions, and whether an applicant actually lived where they claimed. Our team handles the entire FCRA-compliant consent process correctly so you are legally protected throughout.

Yes. South Carolina law requires background checks for certain childcare and educational roles. Churches, daycares, and youth organizations must verify volunteers who work around children. We make the process simple — we handle consent correctly and deliver results in 24–72 hours.

Have a valid government-issued photo ID ready. You will also want the full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number of the person being screened. Write down every address from the past seven to ten years — it helps us avoid missing county-level records.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the federal law that governs how consumer reports — including background checks — are collected, shared, and used. Under the FCRA, an employer must obtain your written consent before running a background check, notify you if they intend to take adverse action based on the results, and give you a copy of the report and a summary of your rights so you can dispute inaccurate information. We ensure every background check we run follows FCRA requirements from start to finish.

A Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) is any company that assembles or evaluates consumer information for third parties — including background check companies. CRAs are regulated under the FCRA and must follow strict rules around accuracy, consent, and adverse action notification. Working with an FCRA-compliant CRA — rather than running your own searches — protects employers from significant legal liability.

Under the FCRA, most negative information — civil suits, judgments, arrests without convictions, and paid tax liens — can only be reported for 7 years. Criminal convictions, however, can be reported indefinitely. South Carolina does not currently impose a state-level “ban the box” law or additional restrictions beyond federal FCRA rules, which means employers here have more flexibility in how they use background check information. We always disclose what is reportable and what is not before we run your search.

An adverse action notice is a required legal notification that an employer must send to an applicant or employee before taking a negative employment action — like not hiring, not promoting, or terminating — based on a background check result. The FCRA requires a two-step process: first a pre-adverse action notice (giving the person a chance to dispute), then the final adverse action notice if the employer proceeds. Skipping this process exposes employers to FCRA lawsuits with statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation.

Expungement is a court order that seals or destroys a criminal record so it is no longer publicly accessible. In South Carolina, certain first-offense convictions and dismissed charges may qualify for expungement. If a record has been properly expunged, it generally should not appear on a standard background check. However, some databases update slowly — if an expunged record appears incorrectly, the subject has the right to dispute it under the FCRA. Always bring your expungement order documentation if you believe a record has been cleared.

Your results are delivered only to you — or, if required by law, directly to the requesting court, attorney, or government agency. We never share results with anyone not named in your order. For employer drug testing, results go to the designated employer representative and the Medical Review Officer only. No one else sees them.

Not unless you tell them. We arrive at your location with no marked vehicle, no clinical branding, and no signage of any kind. We look like any other visitor. Your neighbors, coworkers, or family members will not know what is happening unless you choose to share that information.

Yes. Your name, contact information, and test data are stored securely and accessed only by authorized personnel involved in your order. We do not sell, rent, or share client data with any third party for marketing or any other purpose.

For non-legal (personal) DNA testing, no — results go only to the person who ordered the test. For legal DNA testing submitted to a court, results become part of the court record and both parties in the case will have access through normal legal proceedings. If you are unsure which type of test you need, call us and we will walk you through the implications before you decide.

No. Your DNA sample is used exclusively to produce the result you ordered. Our AABB accredited laboratory partners are prohibited from using samples for research, databases, or any secondary purpose without explicit written consent. After the testing period and required retention window, samples are destroyed according to laboratory protocols.

Drug test results are protected under federal confidentiality regulations. For DOT-regulated testing, results are delivered only to the Medical Review Officer and the designated employer representative — not to HR departments broadly, not to coworkers, and not to supervisors unless they are the designated representative. Employers who share results beyond authorized personnel violate federal regulations.

No — under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the person being screened must provide written consent before a background check can be run. This is a federal requirement, not optional. If an employer takes an adverse action based on a background check result, they must notify the applicant and give them a chance to dispute inaccurate information.

Your records are retained only as long as required by applicable regulations — typically 2 years for DOT drug testing records and as required by accreditation standards for DNA testing. After the retention period, records are securely destroyed. We do not contact you for marketing purposes or share your information with any affiliate or partner company.

No — Odosek Lab Solutions comes directly to you. Whether you are in Columbia SC, Loganville GA, or Baltimore MD, we travel to your home, office, hospital, job site, or any agreed location. You never need to sit in a waiting room or disrupt your schedule.

We serve South Carolina (based in Columbia — 30+ cities across the Midlands), Georgia (based in Loganville — 30+ cities across metro Atlanta and surrounding areas), and Maryland (serving the Baltimore/DC corridor — 33+ cities). Don’t see your city listed? Call us — our service area is expanding.

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Babies are born at 2 AM. Court deadlines don’t wait for business hours. Neither do we.

DNA testing starts at $299 (non-legal paternity) and $349 (legal paternity). Siblingship, grandparent, avuncular, and twin zygosity tests start at $399. Prenatal DNA testing — call for pricing. Drug testing, fingerprinting, background checks, and mobile notary — call for pricing based on your specific needs.

Yes — confidentiality is built into everything we do. We arrive at your location like any other visitor — no marked vehicles, no clinic uniforms, nothing that signals to neighbors or coworkers what is happening. Results are delivered securely and directly to you, your attorney, or the requesting agency.

Call us immediately. Missing a court deadline can seriously hurt your case — family courts in Richland and Lexington counties hold firm to their schedules. We offer rush processing and can coordinate same-day collection and expedited lab results. Tell us your deadline — we’ll build the timeline backward from there.

AABB accreditation is the gold standard for DNA testing — required by South Carolina courts, USCIS, Social Security, and government agencies across the country. It means the lab meets strict standards for accuracy, chain-of-custody documentation, and quality control. We never use non-accredited labs because a result from an unaccredited lab can be thrown out in court, wasting your time and money.