How to Order a Third Round of Free At-Home COVID Tests From the Government

Starting today, every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID test kits. Note that these tests are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR tests, and you will get results at home within 30 minutes. Per the CDC recommendations, you should take a test if you have COVID symptoms, if you’ve come in close contact with someone who has COVID (take the test at least five days after), or if you’re gathering with a group of people and want to ensure you don’t have COVID. These tests will work whether or not have COVID symptoms.

The Biden-Harris administration purchased one billion tests in an ongoing effort to prevent the spread of COVID. Since the surge highly-contagious omicrom variant, at-home tests have been in high demand but hard to find.

How to Order Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests From the Government

Online ordering for the first half a billion tests is open now. They’ll be mailed directly to your home by the USPS.

• Go to the COVIDtests.gov website.
• Provide your name and a residential mailing address.
• Orders will ship in 7 to 12 days, and no shipping fees will be charged.

If you are unable to access the website, The White House press release stated, “To ensure equity and access for all Americans, the Administration will also launch a call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders, and work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation’s hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests.”

Your state may also offer programs to send you free at-home COVID tests (I was able to order four last week in Vermont), so that’s also worth looking into.

If you need a COVID test right now, here’s how to finding a testing site near you.

POPSUGAR aims to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information about the coronavirus, but details and recommendations about this pandemic may have changed since publication. For the latest information on COVID-19, please check out resources from the WHO, the CDC, and local public health departments.