Free at-home COVID-19 tests will again be available for all U.S. households to order at COVIDTests.gov at the end of September. Each household may order four free at-home tests, which will detect current COVID variants and can be used through the end of the year.
Ordering free COVID tests via COVIDTests.gov, which has already distributed over 900 million tests directly to American households, is currently closed but will reopen at the end of this month.Â
At-home COVID tests can be taken at home or in other locations and typically provide results within 30 minutes or less. COVID tests can be administered to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
Many at-home COVID tests have extended expiration dates. If you think your COVID test may have expired, check the FDA website for information on extended expiration dates.
To learn about the different types of COVID tests that are available, see the CDC COVID Testing website.
The U.S. government continues to make COVID tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs. Contact a HRSA-funded health center or ICATT location near you to learn how to access low-or no-cost COVID-19 tests provided by the federal government.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID this fall and winter, whether or not they have previously been vaccinated. The vaccine protects against severe outcomes of COVID, including hospitalization and death. To learn more about the current vaccines, visit the CDC’s COVID web page.