COVID-19: Testing
Know Your Testing Options
As we enter a less turbulent phase of the pandemic, LA County is now moving COVID-19 testing beyond crisis mode and into our standard health care services. Here’s what you should know:
If you have health insurance, best option is to contact your doctor or health plan to get tested. Doctors and health plans are responsible for providing free out of pocket COVID-19 testing to patients assigned to them.
If your employer or school requires a test, go through your job or educational facility to get tested.
If you don’t have health insurance, you can get a free COVID-19 test at the Community locations listed below.
If you have health insurance and need to receive a test at one of our Community locations listed below. Please be ready to provide full and accurate health insurance information. Some testing sites will not provide a PCR test (only Antigen test) if you are unable to provide current health insurance information.
Testing sites offer PCR and/or Antigen Covid-19 testing. See below to know the difference and decide what is best for you. Please note availability of each type of tests varies by testing site. Check directly with testing site for more information.
Book a Test at a County or Partner Site
Testing is currently recommended, regardless of vaccination, if you:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms
- Have been a “close contact” to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days *If you have had a positive test for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you do not need to get tested as long as you do not have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Are returning from international travel, even if you are fully vaccinated
- Are part of an outbreak investigation
If you live or work in a place where other people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, you may need to be tested, even if you are fully vaccinated or had COVID-19 in the past. - Are NOT fully vaccinated and
- Work or study in a place where COVID-19 vaccination or regular testing is required
- Participate in organized youth sports, including school sports teams.
- Are a teacher or student in school
- Traveled outside of California (within the United States). Testing is recommended 1-3 days before and 3-5 days after travel. See Travel Advisory
For more information, visit the COVID-19 Testing page on the LA County Department of Public Health website.
**** As the holidays approach, LA County offers guidelines on how to stay safe while spending time with loved ones. Click here: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/holidays.htm
LA County COVID-19 Community Testing – Weekly Dashboard
This dashboard summarizes COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Molecular test at Community Testing Sites in Los Angeles County. Click here to view dashboard.
Additional information on Countywide COVID-19 testing can be found on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Dashboard, Long Beach Public Health Dashboard, and the Pasadena Public Heath Dashboard.
