It’s true, free COVID test kits are back. Each US household can again order four free at-home COVID-19 test kits at COVIDtests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233. Rapid testing helps reduce the spread of COVID-19 by quickly detecting if a person is infected so they can quarantine or start treatment.

To prepare for a likely rise in COVID-19 cases during the fall and winter, the US government has again made free COVID-19 tests available to households in the US. The program started on Monday, September 25, 2023 and tests were mailed starting October 3, 2023. Each home is given 4 free tests after ordering them on COVIDTests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233.

COVID-19 tests are effective for longer than initially thought, so expiration dates for many brands have been extended by the FDA. Visit the FDA’s website for updated expiration dates. You will need the test kit to look up the brand, lot number, and original expiration date to see if it has an updated expiration date.

Tests are important in catching a COVID-19 infection early, so an individual can take isolation measures and avoid spreading the infection to others.

At-home tests can be used if you have COVID-19 symptoms, have come into contact with someone who has a confirmed case, or are going to come into contact with someone who falls in a high-risk group such as the elderly or immunocompromised. More information on when to use a take-home COVID-19 test can be found here.

The tests are shipped through the US Postal Service, and should not be directly affected by a potential government shutdown.

The government has not announced how long the free COVID-19 test program will last.