The Hidden Cost of Paternity Testing in DC Written By Kendesi Mohammed In Washington DC it costs $80 just to request a DNA test at family court to establish paternity and $500 to receive the actual test results. That is $580 per case. For many families east of the river already struggling with skyrocketing rents from gentrification rising food prices and the overall cost of living this is money they simply do not have. The irony is that clarity around paternity is not a luxury it is a necessity.