About
- CDC accepts specimens from state public health laboratories and other federal agencies for analysis.
- State health departments and other federal agencies may submit specimens for reference testing to CDC.
- Private healthcare providers and institutions may now submit specimens directly to CDC with approval from the local state health department laboratory.
What's new
Updated 10/1/2025 – During an absence of annual appropriations, CDC will continue essential laboratory testing. Testing for urgent public health needs and CLIA reference laboratory services for critical patient specimens will remain available. Though some services may be delayed or unavailable, all specimens received by CDC will be accessioned and stored in their appropriate conditions.
- For questions related to submitting specimens for infectious disease testing, please email CDC_ID_lab_info@cdc.gov.
- For questions related to CDC Specimen Test Order and Reporting (CSTOR), please contact CSTOR@cdc.gov.
- For questions outside of normal business hours, call the CDC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 770-488-7100.
Updated 9/29/2025 — We have upgraded our CDC 50.34 Specimen Submission Form and supporting documentation. For instructions on how to access the upgraded 50.34 Form, please visit the Specimen Submission Form page. Users should review Test directory updates prior to sending specimens to CDC for testing.
CDC accepts specimens from state public health laboratories and other federal agencies for analysis. As of July 2024, private healthcare providers and institutions may submit specimens directly to CDC with local state health department laboratory (state, county, city) approval.
Specimen submission methods
Specimen management activities at CDC include the receipt, categorization, and distribution of specimens from public health facilities to CDC laboratories for reference diagnostic testing and research studies. State-of-the-art technology is used to provide data and information summaries that are crucial in the assessment of public health trends and epidemic dynamics on a national scale.
There are currently two methods for submitters to submit specimens to CDC for testing:
- The CDC Test Order and Reporting (CSTOR) Web Portal (preferred)
- The CDC 50.34 Specimen Submission Form
Who may submit specimens
State health departments and other federal agencies may submit specimens for reference testing to CDC. With state health department approval, private healthcare providers, hospitals, and laboratories may submit specimens directly to CDC via the CDC Specimen Test Order and Reporting (CSTOR) Web Portal. All specimen submissions to CDC must receive approval by the individual state health department, unless specific tests have been pre-approved in CSTOR.
If a local health department is unable to determine where and how to submit a specimen, they should forward the specimen to their state health department.
State and Local Health Departments