COVID-19 testing can help you know if you have COVID-19 so you can decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading the virus to others.

Your order of COVID tests is completely free – you won’t even pay for shipping. We will start shipping tests the week of September 30. Want to know when your tests are coming? Sign up to receive email alerts when you order!

Need help placing an order for your at-⁠home tests?

Call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

The tests available for order:

• Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR
• Can be taken at home or other locations. Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
• Can be used for testing even if you do not have COVID-19 symptoms
• Can be used for testing whether you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines or not
• Are also referred to as self-tests or over the counter (OTC) tests
• Reporting your result — whether negative or positive — helps our nation learn how to use those test results effectively. Report your test results to public health agencies at MakeMyTestCount.org.

Types of Testing

Viral tests look for a current infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by testing specimens from your nose or mouth.

There are two main types of viral tests.

Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs)

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), including PCR tests, are more likely to detect the virus than antigen tests. NAATs tests are the “gold standard” for COVID-19 tests.

Your sample will usually be taken by a healthcare provider and transported to a laboratory for testing and may take up to 3 days to receive results. Some NAATs may be performed at the point-of-care and provide results more quickly.

Antigen Tests

Antigen tests* are rapid tests that usually produce results in 15-30 minutes. Positive results are accurate and reliable. However, in general, antigen tests are less likely to detect the virus than NAAT tests, especially when symptoms are not present. Therefore, a single negative antigen test cannot rule out infection.

To be confident you do not have COVID-19, FDA recommends 2 negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or 3 antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart. A single NAAT test can be used to confirm an antigen test result.

*Self-tests, or at-home tests, are antigen tests that can be taken anywhere without having to go to a specific testing site. Read self-test package inserts thoroughly and follow the instructions closely when performing the test.

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