Answers before you book

No. NorthStar Lab Services is a mobile DNA specimen collection and case coordination company. All laboratory analysis is performed by AABB-accredited partner laboratories. Every legal collection follows a documented chain of custody.

Turnaround times are estimates provided by the partner laboratory. Standard DNA results are typically ready in 3–5 business days after the laboratory receives the samples.

Legal DNA tests typically run 5–7 business days, and Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity (NIPP) typically takes 7–10 business days. Immigration timing depends on the receiving embassy.

Rush processing is available for most tests where the laboratory allows it.

Credit and debit cards, ACH transfer, and attorney trust account payments. Payment is due at the time of scheduling to reserve your appointment.

No. DNA testing is not typically covered by health insurance. We provide itemized receipts on request for FSA/HSA or attorney billing.

Yes. All results and case details are handled confidentially and released only to the parties named on your intake paperwork (or as required by court order).

NorthStar provides mobile DNA collection throughout Michigan, subject to scheduling, appointment type, participant availability, travel charges where applicable, and logistical considerations. Our office is in Saginaw.

Travel is billed transparently using total roundtrip driving distance, with the first 25 roundtrip miles complimentary. See the Locations page for the full policy.

Three things: analysis by an AABB-accredited laboratory, a documented chain of custody performed by a neutral third-party collector, and identity verification with government-issued photo ID at the collection. Self-collected or mail-in kits do not meet any of these requirements.

When proper chain-of-custody procedures are followed and testing is performed by an AABB-accredited partner laboratory, the resulting documentation is generally appropriate for legal proceedings. Acceptance of evidence is determined by the requesting court, agency, or authority. NorthStar does not provide legal advice and does not determine what a court or agency requires.

Legal Conversion applies only when an informational DNA order is changed to a new legal chain-of-custody collection BEFORE laboratory testing begins. It arranges a new, witnessed collection with identity verification — it does not retroactively make an informational collection into a legal test. Once samples have been collected informationally, that chain of custody cannot be reconstructed.

No. Once the samples have been collected without a documented chain of custody, that chain cannot be reconstructed. If there is any chance you'll need the result for a legal matter, start with a legal collection.

Yes for the child being tested. A parent or legal guardian must sign the intake paperwork on the minor's behalf and be present at the collection.

Because chain of custody is documented at every step, disputed cases are rare. If a dispute arises, the sealed sample records, collector notes, and lab data are all part of the case file and can be produced for the court.

It's optional but frequently suggested when documentary proof of a family relationship is incomplete. Relationship DNA evidence is generally requested from AABB-accredited laboratories.

You first open a case directly with an AABB-accredited relationship-testing laboratory. NorthStar coordinates the authorized U.S.-side specimen collection with trained personnel in person.

The laboratory arranges the overseas collection with the U.S. embassy, consulate, or panel physician, performs the testing, and issues the report. NorthStar does not open cases, ship laboratory kits, or issue immigration DNA reports.

Zone 1 and Zone 2 pricing reflects the cost of coordinating the collection logistics for different regions. Your case coordinator will confirm your zone before you book.

No. Our collection fee covers the U.S.-side specimen collection and coordination. Laboratory analysis is billed separately by the laboratory.

Two: the SneakPeek Clinical early gender DNA test, which determines fetal sex from a maternal blood sample collected from six weeks of pregnancy, and non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT), which is coordinated with your healthcare provider and the laboratory partner.

No. NIPT is a screening test. It indicates the likelihood of certain chromosomal conditions, and any screening result should be reviewed with a healthcare provider, who may recommend additional testing.

No. SneakPeek Clinical is intended for fetal sex determination only. It is not a prenatal genetic screening test, not a relationship test, and not prepared for court, child support, or immigration use.

The package is $149.00 all-inclusive, plus a travel fee only if your appointment location is outside the included travel distance. A trained NorthStar collector performs the maternal blood draw in person; the laboratory partner performs the analysis and delivers your result.

Every SneakPeek Clinical package includes expedited overnight shipping to the laboratory at no additional charge.

To qualify for same-day shipment, collection generally must be completed by 3:00 PM Monday through Friday or 12:00 PM Saturday, subject to appointment and carrier availability. Specimens collected after the applicable cutoff are shipped on the next available shipping day.

The laboratory generally provides results the next day after receiving the specimen.

NorthStar prepares and ships eligible specimens promptly. Delivery and result timing may be affected by weather, holidays, carrier disruptions, laboratory circumstances, or other events outside NorthStar’s control.

Travel is always based on the total roundtrip driving distance from our Saginaw office — never one-way mileage. The first 25 roundtrip miles are complimentary.

Beyond that, billable miles are charged at $0.75 per roundtrip mile, plus a travel-time fee based on total roundtrip distance ($20 for 26–75 miles, $40 for 76–150, $70 for 151–250, $110 for 251–400). For example, an appointment 12.5 miles away is 25 roundtrip miles and carries no travel fee.

Mileage and travel time are always shown as separate lines on your quote and receipt.

Most appointments are scheduled within 1–2 business days. Next-day appointments are often available depending on your location, scheduling availability, and the type of testing requested.

Yes. When multiple participants can be collected in a single visit at one location, we consolidate travel fees. This is common for sibling DNA testing and multi-participant immigration cases.

We provide mobile DNA collection throughout Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula, subject to scheduling, appointment type, participant availability, travel charges where applicable, and logistical considerations. Island territories, the Western U.P., and ferry- or overnight-dependent locations require a custom quote, which we provide before you book.