There is no state or federal law that requires DNA testing to establish paternity in the United States, despite online posts that claim various states have implemented new laws mandating that fathers submit a DNA test before signing a birth certificate. However, in no U.S. state is it mandatory for a father to establish his paternity via DNA testing. All states allow nonmarital fathers to establish their parentage without genetic testing by completing a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity form when the child is born. Family law experts said a father would only be subject to DNA testing if parentage were being determined as part of court proceedings. No U.S. states have implemented new laws requiring fathers to establish paternity via DNA testing.

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Persons: ” Courtney Joslin, Martin Luther King Jr, Douglas NeJaime, Anne Urowsky, douglas, NeJaime, Joslin, ” Joslin, Read Organizations: “ New, University of California, Law, Yale Law School, LAW, Social, CSE, Reuters Locations: United States, “, “ New Florida, Tennessee , Maryland, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Maryland, Davis