Testing Process Frequently Asked Questions

My kit was missing a swab or a vial when I received it. How do I get a replacement?

If you are missing a swab or vial when you receive your kit, please contact us and be sure to include your kit number. We will have a replacement kit sent to you the next business day.

I lost my kit. What do I do?

Should you accidentally misplace or destroy your kit, please use our contact form to submit a request to customer service. Include your kit number* and we will have a new kit sent to you the next business day.

*Your kit number was included in the email we sent you after you placed your order online.

Why aren’t my results back? What has caused the delay?

If it is more than a week past the target date without your results being posted, it most often means that we did not get a quality result during the sequencing process.

From our lab’s experience, this happens 10 to 15% of the time. When it does the first extracted swab is rerun. The results should be available in three to four weeks.

I have ordered a test. How soon will my account show the test’s pending status?

The pending status and an estimated results date will be shown after your order is added to a weekly batch. Weekly batches are usually done on Wednesday evenings. If you check your FamilyTreeDNA account on the Thursday after your sample is returned or after you order if we already have your sample, the Order History page will show the test you ordered.

Note: Batches may close earlier to accommodate lab staffing during sales and United States holidays.

You are rerunning my test. Does this mean I need to submit a new DNA sample?

In most cases, we will not need to request additional samples. This is only necessary if we have exhausted the samples that you have already provided. We will contact you and request additional samples if necessary.

I have been sick. Will this affect the sample?

Most illnesses will not affect your DNA and therefore will not affect your ability to test. However, if you have or have recently had an illness that has required antibiotics such as strep throat (Group A Streptococcus), you should wait until you are fully recovered before testing. Doing so will ensure that your samples contain your DNA and not that of the bacteria that caused the illness. Our lab is able to detect the difference between human DNA and bacterial DNA, so it would not affect the accuracy of results, if there is too much bacteria the sample would fail and you would not receive any results at all.

Medical situations that would be of concern would be known genetic disorders, bone marrow transplants, and/or facial reconstruction with donor skin grafts in the mouth. In any of these cases, please contact us and discuss the specifics of your situation to determine if we can get a usable sample.

I’ve had a blood transfusion, radiation therapy, or surgery recently. Will this affect the sample?

We recommend waiting one week after having serious surgery or radiation therapy before taking a sample. We suggest waiting 1-2 weeks after a blood transfusion as well. However, if you take the sample right away, the medical treatment you have had should not affect the sample, and we will be able to get a good result.

Medical situations that would be of concern are known genetic disorders, bone marrow transplants, and/or facial reconstruction with donor skin grafts in the mouth. In any of these cases, please contact us and discuss the specifics of your situation to determine if we can get a usable sample.

Will I get results through the mail?

No. FamilyTreeDNA is an online product. You can access your results through your FamilyTreeDNA account.