In Marin County, new HIV diagnoses run about 21% lower than the US average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in San Rafael, California, clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, while many private labs let you pay a flat self-pay price. See the list below for options.
Available testing centers
10 testing options are listed for San Rafael, CA. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 1.3 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Listings tagged Community health center are federally funded health centers and rural clinics that treat everyone regardless of insurance or ability to pay: required to bill on a sliding fee scale and provide confidential care, and in many states minors may consent to their own STI testing. A Title X tag flags centers funded for confidential family-planning services; confirm current participation when you call.
Source: CMS FQHC & Rural Health Clinic enrollment files (data.cms.gov), refreshed quarterly. Title X status reflects the latest OPA grantee list.
MCHWC Admin - Suite 360, serving San Rafael, earned its federal qualification by tying fees directly to each patient's income. No one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk in for sliding-scale syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening without an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Ritter Health Center in San Rafael runs on sliding-scale fees and accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance, making the full panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB) reachable for nearly anyone. Walk-ins are welcome, bacterial STIs are treated the same visit, and care is delivered in Spanish.
For someone navigating an STI panel, a hepatitis C diagnosis, or substance-use treatment without fluent English, the gap between understanding a result and acting on it can quietly become a health gap. Ritter Health Center conducts care in Spanish end-to-end (clinician conversations, treatment decisions, and follow-up) so nothing critical gets lost between visits.
A positive hepatitis C antibody without an attached treatment path often means months of specialist scheduling, repeat labs, and out-of-pocket costs before a prescription is written. Ritter Health Center closes that gap by managing hepatitis C treatment on-site, the diagnosis and the cure live at the same address in San Rafael.
When STI care and substance-use treatment sit at different addresses, the second appointment is the one that often doesn't happen, and the underlying factor driving repeated infections goes unaddressed. Ritter Health Center offers both services, so the clinical relationship built around one doesn't have to be rebuilt from scratch somewhere else in San Rafael.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Ritter Center Complex in San Rafael carries federally qualified health center standing, which means STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is priced on a sliding scale tied to your income, so the cost adjusts to what you can actually pay. No appointment is required.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Huckleberry Youth Programs in San Rafael runs every service (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing through treatment) at no charge, with no sliding scale because there's no scale at all. An appointment is required.
Every visit at Huckleberry carries no fee, which means STI treatment, not just the test, is included in that same zero-cost promise. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis can be treated on-site, so the cost of a positive result is the same as the cost of a negative one: nothing.
Spanish functions as a complete service language at Huckleberry: spanning testing, STI treatment, and substance-use care. That means clinical conversations, not just intake forms, happen in Spanish across the full range of what the clinic provides.
Huckleberry maintains substance-use treatment as a staffed, on-site program rather than a referral pathway. The same appointment structure that covers STI care extends into that program. Clinicians coordinate across both, so a patient's testing visit and substance-use treatment are handled within the same clinical setting.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net federally qualified health center about 1 mile from San Rafael. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Marin Community Clinics in San Rafael delivers STI care (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, rapid and conventional HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB) as a community health center where the full panel, sliding-scale fees, and same-visit bacterial treatment are all available by appointment, with every service provided at no fee.
Every service at Marin Community Clinics carries no charge, full stop, which means PrEP, STI treatment, vaccines, and lab work are all accessible without weighing what you can afford against what you actually need.
Spanish and Vietnamese are built into care delivery at Marin Community Clinics, not patched in by request: staff conduct consultations, review medication regimens, and follow up on results directly in those languages, with broader interpretation services available for others.
Marin Community Clinics maintains active PrEP and PEP prescribing capacity, making it a reliable ongoing source for people who need HIV prevention medication without a separate specialist or outside prescription. Whether that's daily PrEP or a course of PEP initiated and monitored here.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish, Vietnamese
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Free tool · not a clinic
Testing too soon can miss an infection. Enter the date of possible exposure to see the earliest a test can reliably detect each STI.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Conclusive after |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 7 days after exposure | 14 days after exposure |
| Gonorrhea | 7 days after exposure | 14 days after exposure |
| Trichomoniasis | 7 days after exposure | 28 days after exposure |
| HIV (NAT / RNA) | 10 days after exposure | 33 days after exposure |
| HIV (4th-gen Ag/Ab) | 18 days after exposure | 45 days after exposure |
| HIV (antibody) | 21 days after exposure | 84 days after exposure |
| Syphilis | 21 days after exposure | 42 days after exposure |
| Hepatitis B | 21 days after exposure | 42 days after exposure |
| Hepatitis C | 56 days after exposure | 77 days after exposure |
| Herpes (HSV) | 28 days after exposure | 112 days after exposure |
Guidance only, confirm timing with a clinician. A negative result before the conclusive date may need a repeat test.
Typical out-of-pocket ranges by option, actual cost depends on which tests you need.
Public / community clinic
Free HIV testing is common
Private lab (self-pay)
Never billed to insurance
At-home kit
Mailed to your door, private
Doctor / urgent care
Often $0 preventive with insurance
No centers match those filters. Clear the service-type filter or the opening-hours filters to see every center.
Every other option
Beyond the dedicated testing centers above: at-home kits by mail, hospital labs certified for STI testing, local clinicians who can order a panel during a regular visit, pharmacies for self-test kits and prescriptions, and online PrEP & treatment.
Test from home
The nearest testing center is about 1 mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to San Rafael, 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 (opens in a new tab) 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
$79 & up
Best for simplicity & support
$89 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & up
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.
Also in the area
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve Marin County, each lab's town is shown on its card below. Many test through a doctor's order or by appointment rather than walk-in, so call ahead to confirm STD/STI testing and availability before visiting.
99 Montecillo Road, San Rafael, CA 94903
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
99 Montecillo Road, 4th Floor, San Rafael, CA 94903
CMS-certified lab
750 Las Gallinas Avenue, Suite 205, San Rafael, CA 94903
CMS-certified lab
5000 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903
CMS-certified lab
2 H Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near San Rafael. A CLIA certificate records only that a laboratory is federally certified — it does not confirm the site performs STD testing, nor its hours, price or access. Inclusion is not an endorsement; always call to verify.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 3,664 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of San Rafael. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 1,536 offer telehealth.
Claudia Levine, MD
Internal medicine · 1004 Northgate Drive, San Rafael
Aida Calvillo, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1033 3rd Street, San Rafael
Paula Conolly, MD
Family medicine · 411 3rd Street, San Rafael
Drew Maris, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 155 Andersen Drive, San Rafael
Noel Serrano, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 40 Professional Ctr Parkway, San Rafael
Mark Kubik, MD
Family medicine · 100 Thorndale Drive, San Rafael
These are registry-listed clinicians, not dedicated STD-testing clinics. CMS records do not independently verify current licensure, testing services, availability, price, or new-patient status. Confirm each detail before booking. Source: CMS Doctors & Clinicians.
Nearby pharmacies
No pharmacy near San Rafael, CA publishes an STD-related service or holds a current CLIA testing certificate, so these are simply the closest. Contact a location directly to confirm counter hours, services, prices, and availability before visiting.
1.3 mi KFHP Downtown San Rafael Phy
1.3 miElephant Pharmacy Operating
1.4 mi
1.4 mi 
1.4 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to San Rafael, CA.
Directory records identify nearby pharmacies. Service, stock, price, and hours information is shown only when supported by current location-specific evidence.
Prevention & treatment
Testing is one step. For residents of San Rafael, telehealth covers the rest: HIV-prevention medication (PrEP) and DoxyPEP to lower future risk, and discreet online treatment if a result comes back positive. All prescribed by licensed U.S. clinicians.
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
Pricing varies by insurance and changes often, confirm on the provider's site. These services are not a substitute for emergency care.
STD stats & rates
How reported STI rates in Marin County, the county that includes San Rafael, compare with California and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#38 of 58 California counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 34% of the state
| Infection | Marin County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 294.4 749 cases ▼ 40% | 491.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 97.1 247 cases ▼ 49% | 190.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 5.1 13 cases ▼ 69% | 16.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.1 18 cases ▼ 63% | 19.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 12.6 32 cases ▼ 73% | 46.7 | 29.5 |
Rates per 100,000 population, 2023. Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county, state & U.S., all-ages basis). Population figures: U.S. Census Bureau ACS. These figures are the latest available surveillance estimates. Bars are scaled to the highest rate shown.
Reading these numbers: reported case rates only count infections that were actually tested for and diagnosed, so they track local screening effort as much as true spread: a higher rate can reflect more testing, a lower one less. Either way, most STIs cause no symptoms, so treat the figures above as context rather than a verdict, and test on the CDC's schedule regardless of how your area looks.
Between 2020 and 2023 in Marin County, chlamydia has risen from 214.2 to 294.4 per 100,000 (37%), gonorrhea has risen from 50.7 to 97.1 per 100,000 (92%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 6.9 to 5.1 per 100,000 (26%).
The 2020 dip reflects reduced pandemic-era screening, not lower transmission. Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county, state & U.S., all-ages basis).
Community health context
Sources: CDC PLACES (ZIP), County Health Rankings, CDC/ATSDR SVI, HRSA HPSA, HRSA MUA/P, Neighborhood Atlas ADI. Lower insurance coverage, fewer routine checkups, and a thin primary-care ratio all raise the value of low-cost public clinics and at-home testing in Marin County.
Local HIV snapshot
Marin County HIV care continuum (2023)
Marin County recorded 10.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.9 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Marin County residents living with HIV, 74.8% are in care · 71% are virally suppressed. Early, routine testing is what moves these numbers: it is the entry point to PrEP, treatment, and viral suppression.
Sources: AIDSVu (Emory/Gilead) · CDC AHEAD · CDC AtlasPlus · CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county care continuum). The CDC recommends everyone aged 13–64 test for HIV at least once: every lab and clinic listed above offers HIV testing, and free rapid HIV testing is available at a local health department.
Congenital syphilis, passed from parent to baby in pregnancy, is the fastest-rising STI in the country. U.S. cases climbed from 2,163 in 2020 to 3,882 in 2023. It is almost entirely preventable: the CDC recommends a syphilis test at the first prenatal visit, and every clinic and lab listed for Marin County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Canal sits at the eastern edge of San Rafael, close enough to the Bay that mornings carry a salt-water chill, and it's a useful place to think about what getting tested here actually looks like: a corridor where households are dense, rents run high, and a midday appointment can mean a real trade-off with a shift or a commute up US 101. Nearly half of San Rafael residents rent, and with typical monthly costs well above the national median, discretionary spending gets scrutinized. That pressure lands unevenly on people in their late teens and twenties, who make up a meaningful slice of the city's population and are statistically the years when STI transmission peaks.
Roughly two-thirds of the adult population is actively employed, which means scheduling a screening is often less a question of motivation than of calendar geometry: does the clinic open before a Third Street commute begins, or offer a Saturday slot that doesn't cost a day's pay? With about half of households earning six figures and half not, cost transparency in the options listed here matters for both groups, just for different reasons.
Getting there
San Rafael scores 11.87/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 94901 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 94901 area around San Rafael: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not San Rafael alone.
San Rafael sits in Marin County, ZIP 94901. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside San Rafael? These nearby communities have their own testing guides: clinics, at-home kits, and free screening close to home.
Reference
Everything to know before you test in Marin County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under California law. If you have symptoms right now, our confidential symptom checker maps them to the tests worth considering.
Based on current CDC screening recommendations.
| Group | Tests | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone aged 13–64 | HIV | At least once |
| Sexually active women under 25 | Chlamydia, gonorrhea | Every year |
| Women 25+ with new or multiple partners | Chlamydia, gonorrhea | Every year |
| Pregnant people | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B & C, chlamydia | Early in pregnancy |
| Gay & bisexual men (MSM) | Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV | Every 3–6 months |
| Anyone who shares injection equipment | HIV, hepatitis B & C | At least yearly |
| All adults at least once | Hepatitis C | At least once |
Testing too early can return a false negative, confirm timing with a San Rafael-area provider.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1–2 weeks | Urine or swab |
| Gonorrhea | 1–2 weeks | Urine or swab |
| Trichomoniasis | 1–4 weeks | Urine or swab |
| HIV (NAT / RNA) | 10–33 days | Blood |
| HIV (4th-gen Ag/Ab) | 18–45 days | Blood |
| HIV (antibody) | 3–12 weeks | Blood / oral |
| Syphilis | 3–6 weeks | Blood |
| Hepatitis B | 3–6 weeks | Blood |
| Hepatitis C | 8–11 weeks | Blood |
| Herpes (HSV) | 4–16 weeks (antibody); swab a sore | Blood / swab |
These are the federal Medicare reference prices for processing each lab test. Public clinics and the community health centers serving San Rafael often test free or on a sliding scale; private labs and at-home kits bundle several tests into one fee. Use this as a per-test benchmark before you pay out of pocket, or see the full guide to STD test costs for insurance, free, and at-home options.
| Test | Reference price | CPT / HCPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia (NAAT) | $47.80 | 87491 |
| Gonorrhea (NAAT) | $47.80 | 87591 |
| Trichomoniasis (NAAT) | $47.76 | 87661 |
| HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody | $26.87 | 87389 |
| HIV-1/2 antibody | $22.44 | 86703 |
| Syphilis (RPR/VDRL) | $5.61 | 86592 |
| Syphilis (treponemal antibody) | $17.49 | 86780 |
| Herpes (HSV NAAT) | $47.76 | 87529 |
| Hepatitis B surface antigen | $15.33 | 87340 |
| Hepatitis C antibody | $29.16 | 86803 |
Source: Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, CMS, 2025 rates (data.cms.gov). Reference rate for the lab assay only: a clinic visit, sample collection, or a bundled multi-test panel may cost more. Medicaid and most insurers cover STD screening at no out-of-pocket cost.
Two things that actually depend on California law: who can consent, and whether partners can be treated without their own visit. Everything else about testing privately is the same nationwide (see below).
In California, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
California permits Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT): if you test positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea, your provider can give you medication (or a prescription) to pass to your partner, no separate exam or appointment needed for them.
Keeping a test private works the same in every state. Whether an STD test shows on insurance (the EOB), how to test anonymously, and self-pay options that leave no insurance trail don’t change by location.
Learn more about confidential STD testing in CaliforniaSource: Guttmacher Institute, Minors' Access to STI Services; CDC, Legal Status of Expedited Partner Therapy. General information, not legal advice.
Good to Know
Answers to the questions people ask most before getting tested.
Possibly, San Anselmo, CA is close; compare it by distance against Labcorp.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 294 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the California average.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In California, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent those infections, ask a provider if you're due.
Yes, rectal symptoms can come from chlamydia or gonorrhea; ask for a rectal swab if you had anal exposure.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.