An over-the-counter DNA paternity test now offers unknowing families peace of mind – in every state but New York.

Identigene, a Salt Lake City-based genetics company, released an at-home paternity test this month, giving mothers and their offspring a speedy answer to a difficult question.

Unsure mothers swab the inside of their child’s mouth – and the mouth of the suspected father – then send the swabs to Salt Lake City for testing.

Three to five days later, customers can log on to a secure Web site to view the results. Identigene discards the DNA after six months, but keeps the results on file for five years.

But in New York, state law says DNA testing has to be court-ordered or prescribed by a doctor.

Identigene executive Doug Fogg says he’s working with New York’s Department of Health to get around the DNA-testing law, and hopes to have kits available on Big Apple shelves later this year.

The problem, he said, is New York considers DNA testing diagnostic, as opposed to a pregnancy test, which the state treats more like a thermometer.

“[Identigene] introduces a very convenient and affordable option for individuals looking to establish the paternity of a child,” Fogg said.

“In fact, we’re finding that many people purchased the kit for someone they know that needs the test,” he said, noting that those types of purchases make up about 30 percent of their sales.

The DNA paternity test sells at Rite Aid stores across the country for $29.99, plus $119.99 for lab-processing fees. Running similar tests on other suspected dads costs extra.

The collection kit includes cotton swabs, containers for the samples and envelopes addressed to the lab.

Experts say the test is about 99 percent accurate.

“This is not designed for legal purposes,” Fogg said. “The unique concept with this is that you don’t necessarily have to involve attorneys or physicians. It’s a private test that you can simply do yourself.”

Rite Aid initially bought 10,000 kits to stock in their stores, and is now buying 10,000 more.

Fogg said that 60 percent of their buyers are woman, most of whom are in their 20s.

He added that 6,000 of the tests have been sent to the lab for processing in the past five months when the paternity tests were only offered in West Coast test markets, including California, Oregon and Washington.