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Coronavirus: A state-by-state guide to virus testing policies

If you are feeling ill and wonder if you should be tested for the new coronavirus, there are some things to know and some things to consider.

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First, the tests are not available everywhere to everyone. Each state has its own rules for conducting tests and most require that a physician refer a person for a test.

Generally, the test will not be conducted on someone who is not displaying symptoms of the virus, and those getting the tests must meet either the state’s own criteria for tests or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s criteria.

Below is a list of each state’s public health department and information about testing policies. Remember, call your doctor before you go to the doctor’s office if you have the symptoms of COVID-19.

The information below applies to testing done by the state. If you go to a commercial testing facility, the criteria are not necessarily the same. Generally, results from state testing take from 24 to 72 hours to come back.

Alabama

  • If you do not have a physician you see regularly and feel you need a test,  you can call 1-888-264-2256.  
  • For more information, call Alabama’s 211 system by dialing 2-1-1 or texting 888-421-1266. Or visit the Alabama Department of Public Health’s coronavirus webpage.

Alaska

  • For more information, visit the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services’ website.

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

  • If you do not have a primary care physician, call one of these hotlines:

• Hartford Healthcare Hotline: (860) 972-8100

• Yale-New Haven Health: (833) 484-1200

• Bristol Hospital Coronavirus Info Line: (860) 261-6855

• Stamford Health: (203) 276-4111

Delaware

  • For more information, call the Delaware Division of Public Health's call center at (866) 408-1899. TTY users should dial 1-800-232-5460.
  • The state is only recommending testing for people with symptoms.
  • For more information, visit the Delaware Division of Public Health's website.

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

  • Call your local health department to be connected to a physician in your area if you do not already have one.
  • Patients must meet the state’s criteria to be tested.
  • For more information, call the state's hotline at 1-866-534-3463 (available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) or go to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's website.

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

  • For more information, call the state 211 line (by dialing 2-1-1. The information line is providing real-time COVID-19 information.  Or you can visit the Massachusetts coronavirus website.

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

  • For more information on the coronavirus, contact the Tennessee Department of Health, or call the department’s COVID-19 public information hotline at 877-857-2945. The phone is manned from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT.

Texas

Utah

  • If you do not have a health care provider, call the Utah coronavirus hotline at 1-800-456-7707.
  • For more information, visit the state’s coronavirus website.

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

  • Call your health care provider to discuss whether you should be evaluated in person and considered for testing.
  • To be tested by the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory, patients must meet the state’s criteria.
  • For more information, visit the Wyoming Department of Health’s website.

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