As of this week, each household in the U.S. can order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government.
Getting them shipped to your home takes a few clicks on your computer or mobile device at this website. You will need to fill out your name and shipping address.
The tests will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service and, again, they will not cost you a penny. One order includes four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
Orders will ship starting Monday, Oct. 2.
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If you do not have access to the internet, you can also get help placing your order by phone.
If you have COVID-19 tests sitting in a drawer that you haven't used, they may still be good, even if the expiration date printed on the box has passed. To find out if your test is still good, check the Food and Drug Administration’s page for at-home COVID tests.
Search for the manufacturer and test name to see if there is an “extended expiration date." Click on that link and look for the lot number of the product you have.
You can usually find the number on the side or back of the box. Then, see if your product received a new expiration date.
The federal government recommends testing if you begin to have COVID-19 symptoms like a fever, runny nose, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell, and at least five days after you have come into contact with someone with COVID-19, and right before you are going to gather with a group of people.
The federal government says it will continue to make COVID-19 tests available to uninsured and underserved people and communities through existing outreach programs. You can find a location in California where tests are available at no cost here.
