Any laboratory can put the word "accredited" on its website. Nothing stops a lab from writing "AABB-accredited" in a header or telling a customer over the phone that it holds the credential. The word itself is not policed at the point of use. What is policed is the underlying accreditation status, and AABB publishes that status in a public directory anyone can search in about two minutes.
Relying on a lab's own claim without verification is how legal filings get bounced. A court will not accept a report from a lab that turns out to be uncredentialed. USCIS will send a visa petition back if the analyzing laboratory is not on the AABB list. A birth certificate correction will stall at the Vital Records desk. The delay is measured in weeks or months and the retest is not free. Two minutes of verification prevents all of it.
This guide walks through the steps to verify a DNA lab's AABB accreditation, the red flags that show up when a claim does not check out, and what to do if verification fails. For background on what AABB accreditation actually is, see our companion article on AABB accreditation explained.
Step 1: Use the AABB Public Directory
AABB maintains a free, searchable directory of every laboratory that currently holds Relationship Testing accreditation. If a laboratory is not listed there, it is not AABB-accredited for relationship testing, regardless of what its marketing says.
Go to the AABB Accredited Relationship Testing Facilities directory. The page lists accredited laboratories by name and location. You can scroll the full list or search by facility name.
A few practical notes about how to search:
- Search by the lab's legal name, not its consumer brand. Many DNA testing companies sell under one brand while the actual analysis is performed by a laboratory operating under a different corporate name. The directory lists the analyzing lab. If a consumer brand does not appear, ask the company what laboratory performs the testing and search for that name.
- Match the address on the listing. A single company may operate multiple laboratories. Only the specific facility on the AABB list holds the accreditation. A sister facility at a different address does not inherit it.
- Check the country field. The directory includes labs inside and outside the United States. For a U.S. legal or immigration purpose, the analyzing lab almost always has to be one of the U.S.-based listings.
If the lab appears in the directory under Relationship Testing, you have cleared the first hurdle. If it does not appear, stop and ask the lab directly. Occasionally a legitimate lab is listed under a corporate name a consumer would not guess. More often, a missing listing means the marketing claim is not accurate.
Step 2: Confirm the Scope of Accreditation
AABB accredits laboratories across several distinct programs. Relationship Testing is only one. A lab can be AABB-accredited for transfusion services, cellular therapies, or biotherapies without holding Relationship Testing accreditation. A generic "AABB-accredited" claim is ambiguous by itself.
For DNA parentage, maternity, sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, and immigration testing, the credential you need is specifically AABB Relationship Testing accreditation. It is a different program with a different standard and a different certificate.
When you look at a directory listing, confirm:
- The listing is under the Relationship Testing category (the URL and page title on the AABB site should include "Relationship Testing")
- The accredited services cover the specific test type you need. Most legal parentage cases fall under standard relationship testing, but complex kinship reconstruction and twin zygosity can vary
- The laboratory holds the accreditation in its own name, not as a subsidiary of a parent that holds it
A related trap: some labs market themselves as "AABB member" laboratories. Membership is not accreditation. It is a dues-based program that does not require passing an inspection and does not appear on the accredited facilities list. If a lab's page says only "AABB member" and does not appear in the Relationship Testing directory, it is not accredited to perform legally defensible relationship testing.
Step 3: Confirm Currency (Accreditation Is Time-Limited)
AABB Relationship Testing accreditation is granted for a defined period, currently two years, and then the laboratory has to go through the full reassessment cycle again. "Accredited" is not a permanent adjective. A lab that was accredited three years ago and never renewed is not accredited today. What matters is status as of the date you place your order.
The public directory reflects current status. If a lab is on it today, it holds active accreditation today. If it drops off the list, that is a status change that matters for any test whose results have to be admitted somewhere.
Steps to confirm currency:
- Re-check the directory on the day you order, not weeks earlier. Status can change between the time you first research a lab and the time you send in payment.
- Ask the lab for a copy of the current accreditation certificate. It should show the accreditation period and the expiration date. Compare the expiration date against your expected report delivery date. If the report will not be issued until after the current period expires, ask about the reaccreditation timing.
- For long-running cases, plan to reverify. If you are ordering today for a hearing three months out, check the directory again close to the hearing date to confirm the lab has not lost accreditation in the interim.
Losing accreditation mid-case is uncommon but not unheard of. Repeated proficiency testing failures or uncorrected inspection findings can trigger suspension or revocation between cycles. Courts and USCIS apply accreditation as a status test: the standard is met if the lab is accredited at the time the report is issued.
Step 4: Cross-Check the Laboratory Director
The AABB standard requires the laboratory director of an accredited relationship testing lab to hold a doctoral degree with documented training in genetics or a closely related discipline and specific experience in parentage testing. Those credentials are part of what gets audited during accreditation. The final report on a legal case will be signed by the director or a qualified delegate.
Cross-checking the director's name catches a specific problem: labs that were accredited under a prior director whose credentials supported the accreditation and continue to market as accredited after that director departed. AABB requires notification of a director change, and accreditation continues only if the replacement meets the same standard.
Practical steps:
- Find the director's name on the lab's website (usually on an "About the Lab" or "Leadership" page). If it is not published, ask.
- Confirm the director holds a doctoral degree in a genetics-related field and has documented experience in parentage testing.
- When you receive your report, confirm the signing director's name matches the name you verified when placing the order.
Step 5: Ask for Written Confirmation
The last step is the simplest and the one people skip most often. Before you place an order for any test whose result has to hold up outside your household, email or otherwise put in writing four questions to the laboratory:
- Confirm the laboratory holds current AABB Relationship Testing accreditation, and provide the accreditation reference number and expiration date.
- Confirm the specific case type you need (paternity, maternity, sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, immigration, twin zygosity, or complex kinship) is covered under the current accreditation.
- Confirm the name of the laboratory director and that the director's name will appear on the signed final report.
- Provide a copy of the current accreditation certificate.
A legitimate accredited laboratory has these answers on hand and can send them within one business day. A slow or vague response is itself a signal. Written confirmation also gives you a paper trail if a court or USCIS later questions the credential.
Keep the confirmation with your case file. You may or may not need to attach the accreditation documentation when you submit the final report, but you want to have it if asked.
Common Red Flags
Most bad accreditation claims fall into a small number of patterns. Recognizing them saves time.
- "Affiliated with" or "partnered with" AABB. AABB does not affiliate or partner with individual labs in a way that confers accreditation. A lab is either accredited (on the Relationship Testing list) or it is not. Language that implies a relationship without stating outright accreditation is usually a hedge covering the absence of the credential.
- Parent-company accreditation applied to a subsidiary or brand. A consumer-facing brand may be owned by a parent company that runs an accredited laboratory elsewhere. That does not automatically make the brand's own operations accredited. If the sample is analyzed at the accredited facility, the accreditation applies. If it is analyzed at a different facility or by a sister company, it does not. Ask: "Which physical laboratory will analyze my sample, and is that specific facility on the AABB Relationship Testing list?"
- Expired certificates on display. A framed certificate on a website or lobby wall may look impressive, but only the current period matters. If the certificate is dated three years back with no follow-on documentation, dig further. The current directory listing is the only proof that counts.
- Missing scope specification. A blanket "AABB accredited" claim with no mention of Relationship Testing is worth questioning. Accreditation for transfusion or cellular therapy programs does not qualify a lab to perform legal parentage testing. The lab should be able to specify that its accreditation is under the Relationship Testing Program.
- "AABB member" language used to imply accreditation. Membership is a dues-based association status. It does not indicate that a laboratory has been inspected. If the only claim is membership, treat it the same as no claim.
- Reluctance to provide the certificate. There is no legitimate reason for an accredited lab to refuse a request for a copy of its current certificate. A policy against sharing it is a sign to walk away.
- Directory listing that names a different city or state. If the lab's website says California and the AABB listing under a similar name is in New Jersey, those are different facilities. Only the listed facility holds the accreditation.
None of these patterns proves fraud by itself. Each one is a prompt to ask a clarifying question before you order. The answers tell you what you need to know.
What to Do If Verification Fails
If a laboratory claims AABB accreditation and your verification does not confirm it, the answer depends on what you need the test for.
If the test is for a private, at-home purpose, accreditation is not the deciding factor. What matters is the analytical practice: the number of genetic markers analyzed (industry standard is 20 or more), reporting thresholds (probability of paternity of at least 99% for an inclusion, 0% for an exclusion), and the clarity of the final report. An at-home test from any competent laboratory returns the same biological answer as a legal test. See AABB accreditation explained for the full comparison.
If the test is for a legal, governmental, or immigration purpose, verification failure is disqualifying. Do not proceed with that lab. Steps to take:
- Do not place the order. A non-accredited lab cannot produce a report a court, IV-D agency, Vital Records office, or USCIS will accept. Money spent is lost.
- Move to a lab currently on the AABB Relationship Testing list. Repeat the verification process for the alternative lab before ordering.
- If you have already paid, request a refund. Many labs will refund at this stage. If refund is refused and the accreditation claim was material, you may have consumer-protection recourse.
- Report a false claim. AABB accepts complaints about misuse of the accreditation mark. State attorney general consumer-protection divisions and the FTC accept complaints about false advertising.
For related context on what makes a testing site legally credible, see what is a legal DNA testing site. For why business-reputation credentials do not substitute for laboratory accreditation, see BBB-accredited paternity testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AABB directory show every U.S. relationship testing lab?
The directory shows every lab currently accredited under the Relationship Testing Program. There are U.S. labs performing relationship testing that are not AABB-accredited. Those labs can still perform private, informational testing, but their reports are generally not accepted for court, state child-support, birth-certificate, or immigration use.
How often does AABB update the public directory?
AABB updates the directory as accreditation actions occur. New labs are added when accreditation is granted, and labs are removed if they lose it. The list reflects current status as of the day you check it, which is why re-checking on the day you order is worth the extra thirty seconds.
What if the lab is listed but under a name I don't recognize?
Common situation. Consumer brands often differ from the legal name of the analyzing lab. Ask the company: "What is the legal name of the laboratory that analyzes samples for this test, and is that lab on the AABB Relationship Testing list?" A straightforward answer that matches a directory entry is confirmation. Deflection is not.
Can a laboratory outside the United States be AABB-accredited?
Yes. The program accredits laboratories internationally, and the directory shows non-U.S. listings. For a U.S. legal or immigration purpose, though, the analyzing laboratory almost always needs to be a U.S. AABB-accredited lab, even if sample collection happens abroad. USCIS in particular requires the analyzing lab to be U.S. AABB-accredited for I-130 and similar family-based petitions. See how USCIS uses DNA for visas for the overseas workflow.
If a lab loses accreditation after I received my report, is my report still valid?
A report issued while the lab was accredited generally remains valid for its intended use, because accreditation is applied as a status test at the time of issuance. If a court or agency raises a challenge, be prepared to document that the lab held accreditation on the date the report was signed.
Is AABB accreditation the only credential a legal DNA lab needs?
For most U.S. legal and federal immigration purposes, current AABB Relationship Testing accreditation is the credential that matters. Some states, notably New York and Maryland, impose additional state permits on top of national accreditation for testing on residents. If your case has a specific state connection, ask the lab whether it holds any required state-specific credentials. For related procedural context, see court-ordered paternity test process and paternity testing for child support.
The Bottom Line
Verification takes about two minutes. Open the AABB Relationship Testing directory, search for the analyzing laboratory by legal name, confirm the listing matches the facility that will handle your sample, check that the accreditation is current, and ask the lab in writing for scope confirmation plus a copy of the certificate. Five steps and a written record you can keep with your case file. If a lab claims accreditation and cannot survive that check, use a different lab for anything whose result has to hold up outside the family. If the test is for a private answer only, the verification question weighs less, and the choice comes down to the analytical practice of the lab. Match the test to the purpose and the paperwork downstream will move without surprises.
This article is part of our Understanding DNA Testing: How It Works and What to Expect guide.
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