Get Your Hands on Free COVID Tests: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Order from the Government Website in 2024
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Free COVID-19 Tests from the Government are Back
Free COVID-19 tests from the government are back again. On Thursday, COVIDtests.gov began accepting orders for four free COVID-19 testing kits. The U.S. Postal Service, or USPS, will deliver them directly to your doorstep.
Ordering Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
Here’s how to get your free at-home COVID-19 tests:
- Visit COVIDtests.gov, the official federal government website for the program.
- Press the “order free at-home tests” button, which will forward you to a separate site run by the USPS to place your order.
- Input your name and residential address that will be used for shipping.
- Follow the prompts to place your order, which includes four tests per address.
- OPTIONAL: Put in your email address to track the shipment of the tests.
FAQs about Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
What Kind of Free COVID-19 Tests are Available for Delivery?
The tests are at-home rapid tests that have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The exact brands aren’t clear. Rapid antigen tests are also called over-the-counter (OTC) or self tests or at-home tests. PCR tests, which require samples to be shipped to labs for results, aren’t a part of the program.
How Long Will It Take for the Tests to Deliver?
Orders will begin shipping Monday. While exact time frames vary, the USPS’s website says first-class mail typically delivers within five business days.
How Many At-Home Tests Can I Get for Free?
The current order limit is four per residential address. That number is regardless of how many people live in your home.
The Expiration Date on My Tests Has Passed. What Should I Do?
The FDA has extended the expiration dates past ones printed on the test kits in many cases.
Do I Need Health Insurance?
No. The tests available through COVIDtests.gov are available to anyone with a residential shipping address in the U.S. and its territories. No proof of residency or insurance is required to place an order.
What If I Test Positive with an At-Home Test?
The CDC advises that if you test positive to take precautions to stop spreading the disease. Comprehensive COVID-19 infection reporting has winded down since the height of the pandemic, but the CDC still tracks the coronavirus as best it can. If you test positive with an at-home test, you can share your results with public health officials at the government-affiliated Make My Test Count site.
