This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Free STD testing in Los Angeles is real, and most of it is run by the county. You do not need to be a citizen, and in many cases you do not need insurance.

This guide walks through the process in order. You will see who offers free STD testing, what to bring, how to book, and what to expect afterward. Where a clinic has not published its prices or hours, this guide says so instead of guessing.

One note on terms. "Free" means no charge to the patient. "Sliding-scale" means the price depends on income. Several clinics below fall into a third group: they say "free or low-cost" without publishing details. For those, you will need to ask.

What you need before you start

Gathering a few things first makes the visit faster. None of them are hard to find.

A phone. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) books all of its sexual health appointments through one scheduling line. Results are delivered online.
An email address you can open privately. Results come through the LA Health Portal, according to the DPH Sexual Health Clinics page.
A photo ID, if you have one. Ask the clinic when you book whether it is required. Do not skip the visit just because you lack one, because requirements vary.
Your insurance card, if you have insurance. DPH says it bills insurance when available, with no copay or coinsurance. Not having insurance does not block care at DPH clinics.
A short list of notes. Include any symptoms, the dates of recent partners or exposures as best you remember them, and any medicines you take.
Your questions. Write them down so you remember them in the room.

Step 1: Know what kinds of free testing exist in Los Angeles

There are four main routes. You can use more than one over time.

County sexual health clinics. These are run by LA County DPH, and the DPH Sexual Health Clinics page lists them as free to patients.
Community and nonprofit clinics. These include AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the Los Angeles LGBT Center and APLA Health. Some are free, and some say "free or low-cost."
Youth services. Children's Hospital Los Angeles runs STD services for people aged 12 to 24.
Free home test kits. LA County offers a free home kit for chlamydia and gonorrhea to certain residents. Details are in Step 5.

For a short, organized list of clinics, see the local testing list. The rest of this guide explains each option in more depth.

Step 2: Pick the option that fits your situation

The table below uses only details published by the county and each clinic. A blank or "ask" entry means the information was not published, and you should confirm it by phone.

Clinic	Cost	Walk-in	Services listed
Central Health Center (DPH), 241 Figueroa St.	Free	Limited walk-ins, appointments preferred	STD and HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, doxy-PEP, treatment
MLK Jr. Center for Public Health (DPH), 11833 S. Wilmington Ave	Free	Limited walk-ins, appointments preferred	STD and HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, doxy-PEP, treatment
Pacoima Health Center (DPH), 13300 Van Nuys Blvd	Free	Ask	Screening only
Los Angeles LGBT Center, 1625 N. Schrader Blvd.	Ask (not stated for STI testing)	Walk-ins accepted, same-day appointments available	STD and HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, doxy-PEP, treatment
AHF Wellness Center, Western, 1811 N. Western Ave.	Free	No appointment needed	Gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV tests
APLA Health, 3741 S. La Brea Ave.	"Free or low-cost" per APLA, details not stated	Ask, appointments directed	STD and HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, doxy-PEP, treatment
Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 3250 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor	Ask	Ask	STD testing and treatment, ages 12 to 24
Watts Health Center, 10300 Compton Ave.	Ask	Ask	STD testing and treatment

Sources: LA County DPH Sexual Health Clinics page, LA County DHSP clinic listing, and each operator's own page where one is linked below.

Step 3: Understand each option in detail

LA County DPH sexual health clinics

This is the most complete free option in the city. According to the DPH Sexual Health Clinics page, DPH runs sexual health services at six locations in the county. Three carry a Los Angeles address: Central, MLK Jr. Center for Public Health and Pacoima.

Central Health Center is at 241 Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. DPH lists it as a full-service clinic with no patient fees. Registration hours are Tuesday through Friday, and the clinic is closed Monday, per the schedule posted on the DPH site.

MLK Jr. Center for Public Health is at 11833 S. Wilmington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90059. It is also full-service. It uses a Los Angeles mailing address, so check the location on a map before you go.

Pacoima Health Center is at 13300 Van Nuys Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331. It offers screening only. DPH says people with symptoms or a possible exposure are directed to book at another DPH clinic for evaluation and treatment.

The scheduling number for all of these is (213) 449-7009. DPH also offers telehealth visits, which you book by phone, per the same page.

DPH also states that its clinics are open to everyone regardless of citizenship and that it will not report immigration status.

Los Angeles LGBT Center

The McDonald/Wright Building is at 1625 N. Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. The DHSP listing says walk-ins are accepted and same-day appointments are available, Monday through Friday, 10am to 7pm. The phone is (323) 993-2997 per the DHSP listing, and the main line is 323-993-7500 per the Center's site.

The Center's sexual health page says PrEP care is free or low-cost. It does not state the cost of STI testing. Ask when you call, and ask whether they offer a lower fee if you are uninsured.

The clinic serves people of every gender and orientation, and this kind of setting is a good fit if you want care from providers who are used to open conversations about sexual health.

AHF Wellness Center, Western

This site is at 1811 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027. The DHSP listing gives hours of Tuesday through Friday 10am to 8pm and Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm, closed Sunday and Monday. The phone is 1 (855) 783-2434.

According to AHF's FAQ page, it tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV, and no appointment is needed. AHF suggests calling ahead about wait times. The FAQ says AHF can help you find affordable treatment, but it does not state whether treatment is given on site. Ask about that before you go if it matters to you.

APLA Health, Baldwin Hills

The Out Here Sexual Health Center is at 3741 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90016, and the phone is (213) 201-5000. The DHSP listing gives hours of Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 2pm and 3pm to 7pm, and Tuesday and Friday 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm.

APLA says its Out Here locations offer free or low-cost sexual health services. It does not publish a fee schedule on its STD screening page, and its pages direct patients to book an appointment. Call, say you are asking about cost, and ask what they would charge you.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles (ages 12 to 24)

The youth STD service is at 3250 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010, phone 1 (323) 361-7550. The DHSP listing gives hours of Monday through Friday, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm. Cost and walk-in policy were not confirmed, so ask when you call.

Watts Health Center

Watts Healthcare Corporation runs this community health center at 10300 Compton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90002, phone 1 (323) 564-4331. The DHSP listing gives hours of every day, 9am to 2pm. It lists STD testing and treatment. Cost and walk-in policy were not confirmed, so ask when you call.

Step 4: Book the visit and confirm the details

Call the clinic. For DPH, use (213) 449-7009. For the others, use the numbers above.
Confirm today's hours. Hours on this page come from county and clinic listings, and they can change. DPH's Central schedule, for example, is dated August 2026. Ask whether the clinic is open on the day you plan to go.
Ask whether you need an appointment. DPH prefers appointments but offers limited walk-ins at Central and MLK. AHF says no appointment is needed.
Ask about cost. Use plain words: "Is STD testing free here? If not, what would it cost without insurance?"
Ask what is included. Ask which infections are tested for and whether HIV is part of the same visit.
Ask how and when you get results. DPH says results come through the LA Health Portal in 2 to 10 business days.

If you are not sure which clinic to start with, the county's STD hotline can help you find free testing. The number is 800-758-0880, per the LA County DHSP PrEP and PEP page. The HIV hotline is 800-367-AIDS (2437). You can also use the CDC's GetTested locator to find sites by ZIP code.

Long Beach and Pasadena have their own city health departments, separate from the county. If you live there, check with your city's department about its services.

Step 5: Consider a free home kit if a clinic visit is hard

If getting to a clinic is difficult, there are free options by mail, but eligibility is limited.

The "I Know" program, run by the LA County DPH Division of HIV and STD Programs, offers a free home test kit for chlamydia and gonorrhea. According to the program's FAQ, it is a vaginal-swab kit for people with a vagina aged 12 to 44 who live in Los Angeles County. The kit, the lab test and the return postage are free, and results are available online or by phone. The program hotline is (800) 758-0880.

The California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS has also run TakeMeHome, which mailed free HIV, STI and hepatitis C self-test kits and expanded free oral-swab HIV self-tests to residents of all California counties in January 2023. Current availability and eligibility were not confirmed for this guide, so check the program's site before you rely on it.

A home kit does not replace a visit with a clinician if you have symptoms or a known exposure. It is one way to get started.

Step 6: Think about what to ask to be tested for

The CDC's STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) describe who should be screened for which infections. Two examples from the CDC:

The CDC recommends that everyone aged 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once, and that people with more risk be tested more often.
The CDC recommends yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women under 25, and for others based on risk.

Your own mix of tests depends on your body, your partners and the kinds of sex you have. A clinician can help you choose. Telling them about the types of sex you have, such as oral, anal or vaginal, helps them pick the right swabs, urine tests or blood tests. This is a routine part of the visit, and nothing you say needs an apology.

Timing matters, too. Each infection has a period after exposure when a test may not yet pick it up. The CDC publishes information about this, and a clinician can tell you whether it makes sense to test now, test again later, or both. Ask directly: "Is there a point at which I should come back and retest?"

Step 7: Go to the visit

Most visits are short. You can expect a few questions about your health history and recent partners. Then comes the sample collection, which may be a urine sample, a swab you collect yourself or a clinician collects, or a blood draw.

Some points to know:

You can ask for a different clinician or a different gender of clinician if you prefer.
You can ask what each test is for before you agree to it.
If you have symptoms or a recent exposure, say so at the start. It can change what the clinician recommends.
If you want to talk about prevention, ask. Several clinics listed above offer PrEP, PEP and doxy-PEP, and DPH clinics offer them at no patient charge, per the DPH Sexual Health Clinics page. A clinician decides whether any of these suit you.

If you are under 18

California law lets a minor aged 12 or older consent to care for sexually transmitted infections. This is covered by California Family Code section 6926, as amended by AB 499 (2011). The same text says parents or guardians are not liable for payment for that care. LA County DPH clinics tell patients 12 and older they can be tested and treated without their parents knowing. Ask the clinic about its confidentiality practices, including how it sends results and bills.

Step 8: Get your results and plan the next step

DPH says results come through the LA Health Portal in 2 to 10 business days. Other clinics have their own timelines, so ask when you book.

A few things are worth knowing about results:

A negative result means the test did not find that infection at the time of the sample. A clinician can tell you whether retesting makes sense given your exposure date.
A positive result is something a clinician will go over with you. Bacterial infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are curable with treatment prescribed by a clinician, as is trichomoniasis. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable.
An unclear or inconclusive result usually means a repeat test or a different test. This does not mean something is wrong.

Reporting rules are worth understanding, because people sometimes worry about them. Under California Code of Regulations Title 17, section 2500, health care providers must report gonococcal infections, syphilis and HIV to the local health officer. Laboratories must report chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and acute HIV results under section 2505. Chlamydia has been reportable by laboratories only, not by providers, since October 2019, per the LA County DPH chlamydia disease chapter. These reports go to public health agencies for tracking, and they are not the same as telling your employer or family.

If a partner may need care, ask about expedited partner therapy. The CDC's page on California says state law allows clinicians to provide treatment to partners of patients with chlamydia, gonorrhea or other STIs covered by current CDC guidelines, under Health and Safety Code section 120582. Ask your clinician whether it applies to you.

Tips and common mistakes

Tips that help

Call first, even for walk-in clinics. Hours, staffing and wait times change.
Ask about cost in plain words. "Free," "low-cost" and "sliding scale" can mean different things from clinic to clinic.
Go early in the day if the clinic accepts walk-ins, since limited walk-in slots can fill.
Keep a record of the date, the tests done and the clinic. It helps when you retest.
Make it routine. Many people schedule a test the same way they schedule a dental cleaning.

Common mistakes

Assuming a single test covers everything. Different infections need different tests. Ask which ones are included.
Testing too soon after an exposure and stopping there. Ask a clinician about the CDC's timing guidance and whether to repeat the test.
Skipping a visit over cost worries. Several options above are free. Start with DPH if you are unsure.
Not mentioning symptoms. At a screening-only site such as Pacoima, symptoms or a possible exposure mean you should book at another DPH clinic for evaluation and treatment.
Relying on old listings. Older county flyers list sites that are not in the current DPH schedule. Use the current DPH page and call to confirm.
Treating a home kit as the last step. If a result is positive, or you have symptoms, a clinician is the next stop.

What results and outcomes look like, in plain terms

Testing is a way to get information. Here is what you can reasonably expect, with the usual caveats that no test is perfect:

A negative result may mean no infection was found, but it may not rule out a recent exposure that is still within the testing window.
A positive result may mean an infection was found, and a clinician will confirm it and explain treatment options.
Many infections, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV, can cause no symptoms at all, which is why testing is how people learn their status.
Treatment, when needed, is prescribed by a clinician. Follow what they tell you and ask about follow-up testing.

Why testing in Los Angeles matters

These infections are common here, which is one reason the county invests in free care. According to the LA County DPH 2024 STI Surveillance Snapshot, the county (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) recorded chlamydia at 493 per 100,000 people, and the data are provisional. For HIV, the LA County DPH 2025 HIV Snapshot reports 1,454 new diagnoses in people aged 13 and older in 2024 (17 per 100,000, provisional).

Numbers like these describe a population and tell you nothing about any one person. They are a reminder that testing is routine care, and that free services exist for a reason.

If you are pregnant

California requires prenatal care providers to screen for syphilis. The California Department of Public Health SB 306 fact sheet describes three screens: at confirmation of pregnancy or the first prenatal visit, in the early third trimester (about 28 weeks), and at delivery. If you are pregnant and unsure whether you have had these screens, ask your prenatal care provider.

Next steps

Choose one option from the table above.
Call to confirm hours, cost and whether you need an appointment.
Bring your ID, insurance card if you have one, and your notes.
Ask what you are being tested for, and when to retest.
Use the CDC GetTested locator or the county hotline at 800-758-0880 if you want other places to try.

Getting tested is a routine, practical step, and Los Angeles has more free options than many people realize.

Free STD Testing in Los Angeles: Every Free and Sliding-Scale Option