COVID-19 Take-Home Self-Swab Molecular Test Kits

Where to Pick Up and Drop Off Test Kits

Central office locations are open for with Color molecular test kits and drop off for SFUSD students and staff until March 24, 2023:

  • 555 Franklin Street (Civic Center)
  • 834 Toland Street (Bayview)
  • 135 Van Ness Ave (Civic Center)
  • 750 25th Avenue (Richmond)
  • 3045 Santiago (Sunset)
  • 1515 Quintara (Sunset)
  • 20 Cook (Inner Richmond)

Molecular take-home test kits for SFUSD students and staff are available at all SFUSD schools until March 17 and central sites until March 24.

  • SFUSD will discontinue COLOR molecular take-home test kits as of March 24

Color's lab uses RT-LAMP technology. LAMP, just like PCR, is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Color uses LAMP technology because of supply chain robustness and scalability. 

Drop-off times for samples:

  • School sites: before 10 a.m. until March 17
  • Central office sites: Monday-Friday before 4:30 p.m. until March 24

Pick-up times vary. Please see sticker on bin to see if samples have been picked up for the day.  

For city testing options, please visit sf.gov/drop-testing.

Samples must be dropped off at an SFUSD Color testing collection site. Samples dropped off at a non-SFUSD Color site will not be processed.

Results:

  • Available in 1-4 days
  • Will be sent to the email address and phone number used to register

Registering, Activating, and Using the Kit

Students that are between the age of:

Instructions

  1. Set up a Color account. Watch video instructions for students ages 2-13 and students age 14 and up.
    1. Get the student's SFUSD Student Number by asking your school site/office or finding it on ParentVUE.
    2. Register with Color (you only need to do this once) using the Student Number.
    3. If you have trouble creating your account, call Color for support at 844-352-6567. If you don't receive the first-time confirmation email, double check the email address to make sure it is correct and check your junk or spam folder.
    4. If the Student Number does not work, call the Student Family Resource Link for support in adding the student to a Color account file. You will need to give them the student number, your email address (if student is a dependent), and the school they attend
  2. Collect a sample based on the following timeline. Self-swab kits are for students to use at home. SFUSD staff are not authorized to collect student samples. Watch video instructions for students ages 2-13 and students age 14 and up.
    • Symptomatic students can use the test kit immediately
    • Close contacts should test within 3-5 days after last exposure
  3. Use the Color test kit. All instructions and materials are included within the kit. Translated instructions are also available. 
  4. Drop off the kit at:
    • Any SFUSD school site before 10 a.m. until March 17
    • Central office sites Monday-Friday before 4:30 p.m. until March 24

Additional Resources

This page was last updated on March 13, 2023