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Viral hepatitis (STI & bloodborne)

Hepatitis B Testing

Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable liver infection caused by a DNA virus spread through blood, body fluids, sex, and mother-to-child contact at birth. An estimated 640,000 Americans live with chronic hepatitis B, and most have no idea, because it stays silent for years. A three-marker blood panel reveals your status in one draw, a two- or three-dose vaccine gives lifelong protection, and once-daily antivirals suppress chronic disease and slash liver-cancer risk.

Find hepatitis B testing near you When can hepatitis B be detected?

Understanding hepatitis B

Testing for hepatitis B, in brief

Hepatitis B is usually symptomless, so testing is the only reliable way to know you have it. This page covers how hepatitis B testing works, what it costs, and where to get tested near you.

Full hepatitis B overview: symptoms, complications & treatment

Where to get tested

Find hepatitis B testing near you

Choose your test and enter your city: we'll take you straight to local hepatitis B testing: nearby clinics and labs, prices, hours and county rates.

Test from home

At-home STD testing in the U.S.

if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to the U.S., you collect the sample privately, and mail it back to a CLIA-certified lab. Results come online in days, with a clinician available if anything is positive. Same labs as a clinic, no waiting room, and you can read how accurate at-home STD tests are before you order.

Want a free option first? The CDC-supported TakeMeHome program mails free at-home HIV self-test kits, and, in many areas, free STI kits, to your door, with no insurance or payment needed. The paid kits below add broader panels and faster turnaround.

  • In-home collection

    Quest Diagnostics

    Quest Diagnostics

    $79 & up

    Panel:
    8-infection panel incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis & herpes: single tests too
    Sample:
    Quest Mobile: a phlebotomist collects your sample at home
    Results:
    1–3 days, online: physician-reviewed
    • In-home sample collection
    • Nationwide Quest lab network
    • Physician-reviewed results
    • FSA/HSA eligible
    Order online Quest Diagnostics review

  • Best for simplicity & support

    LetsGetChecked

    LetsGetChecked

    $89 & up

    Panel:
    5–6 common STIs incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis & trichomoniasis
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + urine/swab
    Results:
    2–5 days, online
    • 24/7 nurse support
    • Prescription for positives
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • Free shipping both ways
    Order online LetsGetChecked review

  • Best value: single tests

    Everlywell

    Everlywell

    $49 & up

    Panel:
    Chlamydia & gonorrhea, up to a 6-test panel adding HIV, syphilis, trichomoniasis & hep C
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + swab
    Results:
    Days, online
    • Telehealth visit if positive
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • HSA/FSA eligible
    • Subscription savings
    Order online Everlywell review

Every kit uses CLIA-certified labs. At-home testing is for screening; a reactive result should be confirmed and treated by a clinician. Prices and panels shown are illustrative and change often, confirm current details on the provider's site.

Symptoms

Do you need a hepatitis B test?

Most people with hepatitis B, including virtually all with chronic infection and many with acute infection, have no symptoms at all. Chronic HBV is characteristically silent for years or even decades while the virus steadily damages the liver. When symptoms of acute infection do appear, they typically emerge 1–4 months after exposure. That's exactly why testing matters: you can have it, pass it on, and never feel a thing.

See every hepatitis B symptom — in women, men, rectal & throat

How testing works

How a hepatitis B test works

Testing for hepatitis B is simple and painless — you pee in a cup or do a quick swab, and a lab checks the sample for the infection. Below: your options, what each costs, and how soon you can test after a possible exposure.

Your hepatitis B testing window

After a possible exposure, a hepatitis B test becomes reliable around 3–6 weeks later.

Exposure Day 0 Earliest reliable Day 21 Conclusive Day 42

Before day 21 a test can miss it · from day 21 it's reliable · re-test after day 42 if you tested early.

After treatment

If you believe you were exposed within the past week, contact a provider or emergency department right away. HBIG plus the first vaccine dose, given within 12–24 hours of exposure (and at most within 7 days), can prevent infection. Re-test per your provider's guidance if early results are equivocal.

Hepatitis B panel (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc) Recommended once for all adults
Sample
Blood draw
Results
1–3 days

The complete diagnostic picture in one draw. HBsAg detects active infection (acute or chronic). Anti-HBs confirms immunity, from the vaccine or a resolved past infection. Anti-HBc (IgG) indicates prior exposure to the virus. Interpreting all three together is essential: for example, anti-HBc positive with HBsAg negative and anti-HBs negative ('isolated core antibody') can signal a false positive, very early seroconversion, or a remote resolved infection, your provider will interpret and may retest.

HBsAg (surface antigen) screening
Sample
Blood draw
Results
1–3 days

The single most important marker: positive means active hepatitis B infection (acute or chronic). Used for prenatal screening, initial diagnosis, and monitoring response to treatment (HBsAg clearance is the functional cure endpoint). Turns negative when acute infection resolves; in chronic infection it persists indefinitely unless rare 'functional cure' is achieved.

HBeAg and anti-HBe (e-antigen / e-antibody)
Sample
Blood draw
Results
1–3 days

HBeAg-positive status indicates active viral replication and higher infectiousness, seen in the immune-tolerant and immune-active phases of chronic HBV. HBeAg seroconversion (becoming HBeAg-negative and anti-HBe-positive) is an important treatment milestone, often accompanied by a drop in viral load and reduced infectiousness. Used to stage chronic infection and assess treatment response alongside HBV DNA.

HBV DNA (viral load)
Sample
Blood draw
Results
2–5 days

Quantitative PCR measures the amount of HBV genetic material in blood (expressed as IU/mL or copies/mL). Guides antiviral treatment decisions: patients with HBV DNA above treatment thresholds (typically >2,000 IU/mL with elevated ALT or significant fibrosis) are candidates for therapy. Also monitors treatment efficacy; a suppressed viral load (<10–20 IU/mL) on treatment is the target.

HBV genotype
Sample
Blood draw
Results
3–7 days

There are 10 HBV genotypes (A–J). Genotype A is most common in the US and Western Europe; genotypes B and C predominate in Asia. Genotype influences natural history (genotype C has higher HCC risk) and predicts response to pegylated interferon therapy. Not routinely ordered but useful when interferon treatment is considered.

What a hepatitis B test costs

Where What it costs
Private lab (self-pay)Approximately $30–$100 self-pay for a hepatitis B panel at a private lab (Quest, LabCorp); HBV DNA viral load testing adds roughly $100–$200 if ordered separately
Free / sliding-scale clinicFree or low-cost HBV testing and vaccination at health departments, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), community health centers, and many STI clinics; syringe service programs often include HBV screening
With insuranceHepatitis B screening and the full vaccine series are covered with no out-of-pocket cost under most ACA-compliant plans as a USPSTF-recommended preventive service; antiviral treatment for chronic HBV is covered by most commercial insurance and Medicaid

Compare STD testing costs across every option.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for hepatitis B?

Because hepatitis B is often silent, the CDC and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend routine screening for the groups most likely to have it, not just people with symptoms.

  1. 1

    All adults at least once

    The CDC recommends hepatitis B screening (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc) for every adult aged 18 and older at least once in their lifetime. Most people with chronic HBV have no symptoms and acquired the virus years ago, universal one-time screening finds them while antiviral treatment can still prevent cirrhosis and liver cancer.

  2. 2

    All pregnant people at the first prenatal visit

    HBsAg testing is standard of care at the first prenatal visit, regardless of vaccination history. If the result is positive, the newborn must receive HBIG and the first vaccine dose within 12 hours of birth, this prevents chronic infection in more than 90% of exposed neonates. High viral-load mothers may receive tenofovir in the third trimester for additional protection.

  3. 3

    People born in or descended from high-prevalence regions

    HBV prevalence exceeds 2% in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. People born in these regions, or whose parents were, have substantially higher rates of chronic infection and should be screened and vaccinated if not already immune, regardless of how long ago they immigrated.

  4. 4

    People who inject drugs (PWID)

    Sharing needles, syringes, or any injection equipment is a high-risk route. People who inject drugs should be screened and, if not immune, vaccinated. Syringe service programs often provide hepatitis B testing and vaccination alongside harm-reduction services.

  5. 5

    Sexual and household contacts of HBV-infected people, and people with HIV

    Anyone who has had sex with or lives in the same household as a chronically infected person should be tested and vaccinated if not immune. People with HIV are co-infected with HBV at substantially higher rates; they require the full three-marker HBV panel and specialist co-management, because several antiretroviral drugs (tenofovir-based regimens) also treat HBV.

Browse by location

Hepatitis B testing by state & city

Jump to local hepatitis B testing, clinics and labs, prices and county rates, in your state or a popular city, or explore another test.

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More on hepatitis B

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Living with hepatitis B

Questions to ask your provider about hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is treatable and nothing to be ashamed of. The most useful next step after a positive result (or before a first test) is a direct conversation with a clinician. Here are the questions that matter most:

  • Is my hepatitis B test result definitive, or do I need a confirmatory test?
  • What treatment options are available to me, and how long until I'm no longer contagious?
  • Should I notify my recent partners, and can your office help me do that confidentially?
  • Is my hepatitis B acute or chronic, and will I need long-term monitoring?
  • Are there other STIs I should test for at the same visit?
  • If I'm pregnant or planning to be, how do we protect the baby from hepatitis B?

Good to Know

Hepatitis B testing FAQs

Common questions about hepatitis B and hepatitis B testing, answered.

How do I get tested for hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B testing requires a blood draw, you cannot test with a urine sample or oral swab. The recommended test is the hepatitis B panel, which orders three markers simultaneously: HBsAg (surface antigen: detects active infection), anti-HBs (surface antibody: indicates immunity from vaccination or resolved past infection), and anti-HBc (core antibody, indicates any prior exposure to the virus). You can order this panel online at a private lab such as Quest or LabCorp and walk in without an appointment, ask for it at your next routine medical visit, or visit a health department or community health center that may offer it free or at low cost. Results typically return in 1–3 business days. If your result shows active infection, your provider will order additional tests (HBeAg, HBV DNA) to stage the infection and guide treatment decisions.

How soon after exposure can hepatitis B be detected on a test?

HBsAg (the surface antigen that signals active infection) typically becomes detectable in blood 1–9 weeks after exposure, often before any symptoms appear. However, testing too early in this window can yield a false negative if the antigen has not yet reached detectable levels. Anti-HBc (core antibody) and anti-HBs develop over additional weeks and are part of the full picture that distinguishes acute infection, chronic infection, resolved infection, and vaccine immunity. If you believe you were exposed within the past week, do not wait for a test result: contact a provider immediately to receive post-exposure prophylaxis (HBIG + vaccine), which can prevent infection if given promptly. For a routine screening with no acute exposure, a panel at any point accurately captures your current status.

What do my hepatitis B blood test results mean?

The three-marker hepatitis B panel tells a complete story, and interpreting all three together is essential. HBsAg positive, anti-HBs negative: active hepatitis B infection, either acute or chronic, your provider will determine which based on additional testing and timing. HBsAg negative, anti-HBs positive (≥10 mIU/mL), anti-HBc negative: immune from vaccination, no prior infection. HBsAg negative, anti-HBs positive, anti-HBc positive: immune from a resolved past infection, you cleared HBV and cannot be reinfected. HBsAg negative, anti-HBs negative, anti-HBc positive ('isolated core antibody'): this pattern requires provider interpretation: it can represent a false positive, very remote resolved infection with waned anti-HBs, or rarely occult chronic infection. All three negative: susceptible, you have not been infected and are not immune; vaccination is strongly recommended.

How much does hepatitis B testing cost?

A hepatitis B panel (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc) typically costs $30–$100 self-pay at a private laboratory. Most ACA-compliant insurance plans cover HBV screening and the vaccine series with no out-of-pocket cost, consistent with USPSTF preventive service recommendations. Health departments, federally qualified health centers, and many community health centers offer hepatitis B testing and vaccination at no charge or on a sliding-fee scale. If you are uninsured, calling ahead to a local health department or FQHC is often the fastest route to free testing and vaccination.

Medically Reviewed · Updated

Reviewed by Mark Riegel, MD · Sexual Health Physician · Chief Medical Reviewer

Physician focused on sexual health, STI testing, treatment and prevention, and EasySTD's chief medical reviewer. Owns the condition guides and is the clinical backstop for any page without a more specific specialist. Our editorial guidelines →

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Data & references

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