How to Get Free COVID-19 Tests

September 30, 2024

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 26 released a new round of free COVID-19 test kits by mail.

U.S. households can order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests, according to the website, COVIDtests.gov. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that oversees the testing said orders will start shipping for free beginning this week through the U.S. Postal Service.

HHS cautioned that many of its COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates, so recipients may be able to use COVID-19 tests after the expiration date that is printed on the box. To find out if the test has an extended expiration date, check the FDA’s list of extended expiration dates.

The test can be used even if one does not have COVID-19 systems or whether or not one is up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.

The rapid antigen at-home tests can give results within 30 minutes. Reporting the result—whether negative or positive—helps the department learn how to use those test results effectively. Test results can be reported to public health agencies at MakeMyTestCount.org.

This is the program’s seventh round of distribution. It has delivered more than 900 million free tests directly to U.S. residents since it started in 2021, HHS reported.

Latest Articles

How Cleaning Teams Are Standardizing Work in High-Turnover Environments
August 26, 2026 Kyle Mason

How Cleaning Teams Are Standardizing Work in High-Turnover Environments

August 24, 2026 Elizabeth Christenson

Solutions to Top Restroom Challenges

August 24, 2026 Jeff Cross

ISSA Show Goes Big on Robotics, Innovation, and Connections

Sponsored Articles

New Technology Platform Targets the Hidden 90% of Cleaning Budgets
July 16, 2026 Sponsored by Optisolve

New Technology Platform Targets the Hidden 90% of Cleaning Budgets

July 7, 2026 Dr. Rebecca Bascom & Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner & Dr. Omrana Pasha-Razzak

Evidence-Based Cleaning Ensures Healthy Places and Spaces

July 2, 2026

D.A.R.E. to Clean Restrooms Smarter with Tornado

Recent News

mosquitoes, mosquito

Michigan Confirms Human Eastern Equine Encephalitis Case

COVID-19 Activity Increases in California

First Two Measles Deaths of the Year