What family, probate, and immigration matters generally require from a DNA test — AABB-accredited analysis, neutral third-party collection, and a documented chain of custody.
Family, probate, and immigration matters routinely rely on DNA evidence to establish parentage, sibling relationships, and other genetic questions. What decision-makers do not rely on is any DNA test — the collection, the laboratory, and the paperwork all need to meet a recognized standard before a result is treated as reliable evidence.
Three pillars come up again and again: an AABB-accredited laboratory, a neutral third-party collector, and a documented chain of custody from collection through reporting. When one is missing, opposing counsel has room to challenge the report.
Pillar 1 — AABB-accredited laboratory
AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) is the accrediting body most widely recognized for relationship DNA testing, including by USCIS and the U.S. Department of State.
An AABB-accredited relationship testing laboratory is audited against standards covering:
- Analyst training and competency
- Instrument calibration and validation
- Statistical methods for probability-of-relationship calculations
- Report content and signatory authority
- Retention of specimens, electronic data, and paperwork
Pacific Crest DNA Services is a collection and coordination provider. All laboratory analysis is performed by an AABB-accredited partner laboratory, and the signed legal report is issued on that laboratory's letterhead.
Pillar 2 — Neutral third-party collection
A court needs to know that the samples described in a report actually came from the people named in it. That is why participants cannot collect their own samples for a legal test — an independent, trained collector performs the collection.
At a legal collection appointment the collector will:
- Verify each adult participant's government-issued photo identification
- Photograph each participant for the chain-of-custody file when required
- For minors, verify identity through a birth certificate and the accompanying legal guardian
- Collect buccal (cheek) swabs directly from each participant
- Seal and label each specimen in the participant's presence
- Complete and sign the chain-of-custody paperwork with each participant
The collector cannot be a party to the case, a relative, or the ordering attorney. Neutrality is part of what makes the report defensible.
Pillar 3 — Documented chain of custody
Chain of custody is the paper trail showing that the sealed specimen the laboratory tested is the same specimen the identified participant provided, with no unexplained gap.
A defensible chain-of-custody file typically includes:
- Signed identity verification and consent forms for each participant
- Photographs taken at the collection appointment when the protocol requires them
- Specimen labels signed by the participant and the collector
- A sealed, tamper-evident shipment record to the laboratory
- Laboratory receipt confirmation with intact seals
- The signed final report on the accredited laboratory's letterhead
If a link is missing, opposing counsel can argue that the tested specimen may not belong to the named participant.
How the requirements apply across different matters
The three pillars stay the same, but each forum has its own reason for insisting on them:
- Family matters (parentage, custody, child support): a legal report is used to establish or challenge parentage under state law.
- Probate and heirship: a legal report can support a biological relationship to a decedent in estate or wrongful-death claims.
- Birth record amendments: state vital records offices generally accept accredited chain-of-custody evidence only alongside the acknowledgment or court order the state requires.
- Immigration: USCIS and U.S. consulates accept relationship DNA evidence only from AABB-accredited laboratories with a documented chain of custody.
Specific evidentiary requirements are set by the court or agency receiving the report, and they can differ between Oregon and Washington. Confirm them before scheduling.
What Pacific Crest handles — and what it doesn't
Pacific Crest DNA Services coordinates the collection and chain-of-custody portion of legal DNA testing: scheduling, identity verification, in-person collection in Portland or by mobile appointment across Oregon and Washington, sealed shipment to an AABB-accredited partner laboratory, and delivery of the signed legal report.
Pacific Crest does not appear in court, file paperwork with a vital records office, or advise how a report should be used in a specific case. Those decisions belong to the participant's attorney or the agency involved, and Pacific Crest cannot guarantee that any particular court will admit a report.
This article is general educational information, not legal advice. For a specific case, talk to a licensed family-law, probate, or immigration attorney.
Pacific Crest coordinates chain-of-custody DNA collection in Portland and by mobile appointment across Oregon and Washington, with signed legal reports from an AABB-accredited partner laboratory.
Related services
Learn more about legal DNA testing in Oregon and Washington, informational DNA testing, and immigration DNA coordination. You can also review DNA testing pricing and mobile collection areas across Oregon and Washington.