FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our service is dedicated to helping genealogists find lost relatives when the paper trail ends and the brick wall takes its place. We use a painless cheek scraping to obtain DNA that can help accurately determine a relationship with either a 99.9% probability of YES or a 100% certainly that no near term relationship existed.

Our service was created for the serious amateurs and the professional genealogists who wish to extend their family trees by confirming a link where no conventional source records exist. In some cases our tests can also be used to determine if a person is part of a larger group of people: for example, Jews will be able to confirm they are of Cohanim lineage. Our tests are also perfect for individuals who want to perform Surname-based family tree reconstruction projects.

Our "mtDNA" test used for both males and females, and our "Y-DNA" designed to match males (often with the same or similar surnames) are priced, respectivelly at $129 and $159. We also offer a "Y-DNA12+mtDNA" which combines both tests above (and is for males who want to test and database both their mothers' and fathers' lineage). The Y-DNA12+mtDNA is $229. We also offer the worlds' only "Cohanim" test, which will identify those people who share this set of markers with the family of the Biblical character Aaron.

Our newest tests Y-DNA37 ($289) and mtDNAPlus ($189) are designed to tighten the time to the MRCA by offering the greatest number of markers tested of any genealogical product on the market.
Our Y-DNA and mtDNA can also verify Native American ancestry for either the male or female side. They are designed to tell you from which immigration to the new world your male or female family progenitor arrived. To successfully take this test your lines of descent must be female to female to female (or male to male to male) all the way back to the person who was 100% of Native Ancestry. Please see our Inheritance Chart to insure you qualify for this test.

Sure. In the ordering process there are 2 screens. The first screen is to enter the information about the person that will do test. When you advance to the second screen, you can enter the billing information, in case it is different from the individual that is being tested.

Results will be placed in our secure, private and confidential database. Once a person's test result has been entered into our genetic library, a connection can be made whenever another related person chooses to have their DNA tested. For a better understanding of the privacy and confidentiality commitment of Family Tree DNA, please see our position on Privacy & Confidentiality

Family Tree DNA's primary test attempts to determine if 2 people thought to be unrelated actually had a common ancestor. Our specific purpose is to help recreate lost family links. Our test is for genealogy NOT for paternity, alimony or other legal purposes.

The report that we will send you will have various information, along with your personal allele information. We have listed several examples of these for you to see here. See Table #2

Your genetic test kit consists of a cheek scraper and a collection tube. In about five minutes, you will be able to read the instructions and perform a painless cheek scraping. The effect of using the scraper is about the same as brushing your cheek with a soft bristle toothbrush. A backup scraper & tube is included to insure that a good sample is obtained by our lab. We intend that you use them both!

After you have placed your order, a genetic test kit and instructions will be mailed to you. Upon its' return your genetic sample will be processed, and the results will be entered into our secure, private and confidential non-web-based genetic library. A comparison between your specific genetic markers and those of others in the database will then be performed and you will be notified if another person matches your results perfectly.

No

Make sure you put in the name of the actual test taker in the first screen of the ordering process.
Enter the address the kit and the results will be mailed to. If this is not the address of the test taker put “c/o" the person receiving the kit, on the first address line. You can enter the address on the second line.
If you want the kit sent to one address and the results sent to another address enter the address you want the kit sent to. Once the test taker has received the kit and returned it to our office you may change the address to the one you want the results sent to.

Enter the phone number you wish to use as the contact number for this kit.

Enter the email address(es) you want to be notified of the order and the results. You may enter more than one email address.

Once you have filled out the information on this page click “Continue” and fill out the billing information. Your order will not be processed until you hit the “Confirm” button.

Yes. Just like an email list, if you decide that you want your data deleted from the database, you may email us, we will look up your ID number, and ask that it be deleted from the Database.

No. We won't know if you show positive for a disease, as we are only testing your DNA to look at 12, 25 or 37 specific Loci on the Y Chromosome.

This is an important and very practical question that speaks to the heart of genealogical testing and research. The chance that a match does not exist due to infidelity or unreported adoptions occurs 2%-5% of the time per generation. For families trying to do family reconstruction, it is prudent to test 2 different known male cousins from each different branch. In cases of unexpected results, FTDNA will retest at no charge to confirm that a lab error is not an issue. In case that a retest is done and the resutls are confirmed, a $50 charge will be applied.

There are two ways to answer this genealogical question. Ideally a match would best be done by testing a known male member of your biological family, (brother, father or first cousin), against the potential male relative. This is our Y chromosome test which would allow us to also search for the Cohanim gene.
The other method, (not as straight forward), utilizes the mother who passes her mtDNA to both male and female offspring and this can be checked using mtDNA or mitochondrial DNA. A match between the mtDNA of a male potential relative and your mtDNA would mean you have a common female ancestor. A male's mtDNA comes only from his mother and is not passed on to his offspring. This is our Maternal Match.

From the time you return the two specimens to us it will take approximately seven weeks to test your DNA sample, analyze the specimens and compare the results to data in the existing genetic library.

Unless you ordered together or sent in your samples together we wouldn't know that you wanted to share results with each other, however this is not a problem if you sign the Release Form, included with every test kit. When signed we can then automatically release specific contact information to you and people who have an exact match to you. (We invite you to test us!) If you are specifically testing with another individual just send an email after you place your order.

All genetic tests from Family Tree DNA will provide you a probability that you and another person, who have an exact match, will have your Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) within a range of time backwards. Our 12 marker test gives you the following range: 7 generations (50%) likelihood & 29 generations (95%) likelihood. Using our 25 marker test the 50% likelihood drops to 3 generations and the 95% to 13 generations. The 37-marker test tightens further to 2 generations (50%) and the 95% to 7 generations. We have also incorporated all of our marker mutations rates into our new FTDNATiP calculator. See the new Table 1.

The complete list of tests is available here.

From studies performed at cemeteries about 5% of Jews appear to be Cohanim. Furthermore, in a study conducted in Israel where people were asked at random if they were Cohanim, Levites or Israel, of those answering Israel, about 3% tested positive for the Cohanim gene.

We work in conjunction with existing genealogical records and our tests help you fill in the gaps where no records exist.

To be clear, we can determine descent from your father's father or your mother's mother. That means in the case of an individual's great-grandparent's generation, we can determine a link to two of your eight great-grandparents. You can, however, easily determine other family links by obtaining DNA samples from your male and female cousins.

We understand the extreme need for privacy, even when the goal is genealogy rather than courtroom or medical determinants. Much has been written about privacy and confidentiality of genetic testing over the last 5-10 years, and many states have passed legislation in this area. We follow the most stringent guidelines for privacy: we control the Surnames Database Library, while the University of Arizona controls and maintains the genetic library on our behalf. Therefore, there is a double safety net. The first is upon us in the form of State legislation, and the other upon the University of Arizona, which is bound by both State and Federal privacy and confidentiality legislation. To the best of our knowledge, no other genetics testing company has voluntarily placed itself under such strict regulations. Please read our section on Privacy.

Your privacy is assured because the testing facility will not have access to your name. Only your unique number will accompany your collection tube to the testing lab. The computer-generated number is the only information about you that the testing facility will see. Once your test has been completed, the results will be entered in a secure non-web-based database, and the lab will inform us of any matches between two coded numbers. The information placed in our Surnames Database Library will only display your last name on our web site. No specific information about you will be available at the web site. Search the Database.

The DNA extracted from your sample is kept by the lab for a period of 25 years for your exclusive use. It is important to note that Family Tree DNA adopts a "double safety net" in regard to your sample: Arizona Research Labs at the campus of the University of Arizona keeps the DNA associated to a number and not a name, while Family Tree DNA offices keep the database with no access to the actual sample.

View the people who provide scientific and business support for FTDNA.

Click here to see what's in a DNA test kit.

If a kit is ordered, paid for and unused, we will give a full refund if the order was placed mistakenly (person does not fit into a surname project).

If a kit is ordered, paid for and unused because the person "changed his/her mind", will will give a refund, less an amount that covers for credit card charges (in case the kit was paid by credit card), shipping and cost of the kit. Those deductions are $10 for orders under $150, $15 for orders from $151 to $250 and $25 for orders from $251 to $500.

We won't give refunds after kits enter lab processing. Delays in processing a scientific test can happen, and therefore we also won't give refunds in case of delays in reporting results.