Submitting Specimens to CDC

Updated 11/4/2024 — We have upgraded our CDC 50.34 Specimen Submission Form, Online Test Directory, 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. Visit  Help & FAQs for additional information. 

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 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.