Free, confidential COVID-19 testing is available to every Californian. Get vaccinated to reduce the need for testing.
On this page:
How to get tested
Find testing near you
See a map of testing sites near you:
Find a testing location
More testing sites may be available at your area’s COVID-19 website.
Use an at-home test
Many drug stores now carry at-home kits. These let you test yourself and get results within minutes. They are available over the counter, without a prescription. Check with your local pharmacy or retail store.
Read more about at-home tests at the CDC’s Self-Testing page.
Get tested with OptumServe
California has partnered with OptumServe to provide free, confidential testing statewide. Tests are available for everyone, including:
- Underserved communities
- Individuals who are at high risk
Tests are by appointment only. Find a location near you and make an appointment at:
Register for testing
If you do not have internet access, call 1-888-634-1123.
OptumServe community testing sites serve all individuals who qualify for a test. This includes uninsured, underinsured, undocumented and homeless individuals. You do not need a driver’s license to get this test.
When to get tested
If you have symptoms
Vaccinated or not, get tested immediately if you’re feeling any COVID-19 symptoms.
If you were exposed
Vaccinated people should get tested within 5-7 days of exposure.
Unvaccinated people should test immediately, and again 5-7 days after.
If you go to a high-risk event
Unvaccinated people should test before and 3-5 days after.
If you travel
Unvaccinated people should test 1-3 days before travel, and 3-5 days after.
Read more in CDPH’s testing fact sheet and travel guidelines.
Cost for testing
There are no out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 testing at a testing site. An insured person can get a COVID-19 test when needed by any provider, in or out of their health plan network, at no cost. If you’re uninsured, the government pays for your test.
But there are some COVID-19 tests you do have to pay for:
- At-home test kits
- Some rapid result tests
Testing at work
Screening tests are recurring tests of people without symptoms in certain high-risk workplaces. They are meant to detect COVID-19 early and stop transmission.
In general,
- Fully-vaccinated individuals do not need screening tests in non-healthcare settings.
- Asymptomatic employees in healthcare settings should still get screening tests. This is true no matter their vaccination status. There are a few exceptions:
- Facilities may stop routine testing of asymptomatic staff who are fully vaccinated where:
- More than 70% of residents and more than 70% staff are fully vaccinated in a long-term care facility, or
- More than 70% of staff are fully vaccinated in an acute health care facility.
- Facilities may continue routine testing for fully-vaccinated staff with compromised immune systems. Examples are those who have undergone organ transplantation or cancer treatment. These conditions might impact the level of protection provided by COVID-19 vaccine.
Read CDPH’s Updated Testing Guidance for more about workplace screening tests.
Questions and answers
Get tested, even if you’re vaccinated. Know your status so you can avoid infecting others.
If you have symptoms, stay home and self-isolate from others in your household.
Yes. Federal guidance requires health plans to provide testing at no cost to everyone. You do not need to have symptoms or to have been exposed to COVID-19. You do not need to be an “essential worker” to get tested.
To get tested you can go to any COVID-19 testing provider authorized or licensed by the state. You do not need to go to a provider that is in your health plan’s or health insurer’s provider network. You do not need to get permission from your health plan or health insurer before going to get a COVID-19 test. And you do not need to pay a co-payment for a COVID-19 test.
For the uninsured, the government pays for all necessary COVID-19 testing and care. Check your symptoms using the Symptom Screener or by talking to your doctor.
Turnaround time for COVID-19 test results is usually less than two days. About two-thirds come back within a day, and more than 85% are available within two days.
This turnaround time includes shipping time. For labs that process home testing kits, turnaround time depends on when you mail back your kit.
If you haven’t received your test results and it’s been several days, contact:
- Your healthcare provider,
- Testing service, or
- Local health department.
Read more at California’s COVID-19 Testing Task Force.
The following are accepted:
- Printed document from your test provider or laboratory
- An email or text message displayed on your phone from your test provider or laboratory
Results should include name of person tested, type of test, and date of negative test result. For PCR, the date of negative result must be within the prior 72 hours. For antigen, the date of negative result must be within the prior 24 hours.
If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after 10 days have passed since your test.
The CDC has recommendations for people who test positive but have no symptoms.
You should self-isolate from others in your household who have not tested positive. Sleep and stay in a separate room from them, and use a separate bathroom, if possible. Multiple infected people in the same household can use the same room for isolation.
Members of your household should get tested right away. If unvaccinated, they should quarantine for at least 14 days:
- If they never showed symptoms, they may stop quarantine 10 days after last exposure. Testing is not needed.
- If released from quarantine before Day 14 after exposure, they must:
- Watch daily for COVID-19 symptoms through Day 14
- If symptoms occur, immediately self-isolate and get tested
They do not have to quarantine if:
- They recovered from COVID-19 within the past 3 months and have no new symptoms
- They are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and show no symptoms
Anyone exposed to COVID-19 should take extra precautions for 14 days.
- Wear a mask
- Wash hands frequently
- Stay 6 feet from others
- Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
If you can’t work because you have COVID-19 or are near someone who has it, you can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim.
If you can’t work because you are caring for a family member with COVID-19, there is help for your lost wages. File a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim.
In both these cases, you must have a note from a healthcare worker.
Stay informed