​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Testing can help you know if you have COVID-19 so you can decide what to do next. You may want to get treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and take precautions to lower your chances of spreading the virus to others.  ​​

​When Should You Test for COVID-19?

• You have any COVID-19 symptoms.
• You were exposed to someone with COVID-19 and you have COVID-19 symptoms.
• You will be around people who are at high risk of having severe illness.

Getting a ​​​COVID-19 test

Buy Self Tests (A​t-Home Tests)

Plan ahead to have COVID-19 tests on hand before you get sick. You can test yourself at home and get results in fewer than 30 minutes.​

• ​​Buy at-home tests online or in pharmacies and retail stores. If you have health insurance, you may be reimbursed the cost of the test. 
• In late September 2024, U.S. households will be able to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov
• There are multiple combined influenza (flu)/COVID-19 at-home rapid antigen tests available that have emergency use authorization (EUA), and one the FDA recently authorized outside of EUA.​

Get Tested at a Testing Site Near You

• Testing locations in California
• CDC No-Cost Testing Locator (for uninsured individuals)

Test kits for those with Medi-Cal or Medicare 

Please see DMHC COVID-19 Fact Sheet (PDF) for more information on DMHC health plan coverage of COVID-19 tests.

Before you throw out “expired” tests

• Most at-home tests can be safely used past the expiration date on the box. Check the test kit to see if the expiration dates have been extended on the FDA's At-Home COVID-19 Test page.
• Replace your tests with fresh ones as the extended expiration dates approach. If you have to, you can use expired tests until you can get new ones, as long as the control line is working. See your test instructions for details about the control line.