STD Testing in New Jersey: Free Clinics, Costs, and Where to Go by City

STD testing in New Jersey is free in four of the five big cities. Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Trenton all have a public clinic that tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, or all three at no charge. Edison doesn’t, so people there drive to New Brunswick. The catch is access. Several clinics want you to call first, and Jersey City’s free clinic is for residents only. Below are the clinics by city, with addresses and phone numbers, plus the tests to ask for and the New Jersey rules that protect you.

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

• Free STD testing is available at public clinics in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Trenton. Edison has no public clinic, and the nearest option is in New Brunswick.
• Jersey City’s City Clinic takes weekday walk-ins, for residents only. Newark’s city clinic needs an appointment.
• New Jersey lets anyone under 18 consent to their own STD testing and treatment. Clinics see patients as young as 13.
• Your partner can be treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea without a visit.
• Test at two weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhea, six weeks for syphilis, and 18 to 45 days for a lab HIV test.

Not sure which tests you need? Start a free exposure review with August AI. If you need testing or treatment, a board-certified MD takes over for $39, orders the right lab tests, and, when clinically appropriate, sends a prescription to the New Jersey pharmacy you choose. A prescription isn’t guaranteed, and medication and lab costs are separate. Syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis need in-person care, and gonorrhea treatment usually means an injection.

Free STD Testing in New Jersey: What Free Means

Free in New Jersey doesn’t mean every test is covered, and it isn’t free for everyone. City health departments test at no charge, but some limit it to residents. Health centers and Planned Parenthood charge on a sliding scale and bill insurance. HIV is the test most likely to be free; rapid tests at Hyacinth and Hudson Pride cost nothing.

Before you go, ask three things: Do I need an appointment? Is there a residency rule? Which tests do you run? Some clinics test only for HIV.

STD Testing in Newark

Newark has several options, including clinics run by the city’s health department. Before you go, confirm which tests the clinic runs, whether you need an appointment, and whether there’s a fee.

Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center, 394 University Ave. The city’s health center. STI and HIV testing are free. Appointments are required: call 973-733-7600.

Newark Health Department AIDS Unit, 110 William St, Suite 209. Free testing. Call 973-733-4402.

Planned Parenthood, 70 Adams St, Suite 13. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and HIV testing, sliding scale. Call 973-465-7707.

North Jersey Community Research Initiative, 393 Central Ave. Free, confidential HIV and STD testing, with treatment if you test positive. Call 973-483-3444.

Newark Community Health Centers, 741 Broadway. Free HIV testing and a free mpox vaccine. Call 800-994-6242 to ask about other STD tests.

Newark’s listings don’t show clinic hours, so call before you go.

Free STD Testing in Jersey City

Jersey City’s public clinic is the City Clinic at One Jackson Square (364 Martin Luther King Dr). It offers free, confidential testing and treatment for HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. Walk-ins run Monday through Friday, 8 to 10 am and 1 to 2 pm, and appointments run 2:30 to 4 pm. Bring a photo ID with a Jersey City address, or an ID plus a utility bill. Patients 13 and older are seen, and partners can come too. The clinic doesn’t write prescriptions. Call 201-547-5535 with questions.

Hudson Pride Center, 3000 JFK Blvd, Suite 306. Free rapid HIV testing, by appointment or drop-in. Call 201-963-4779.

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, 48 Fairview Ave. Free rapid HIV tests. Call 201-432-1134 first.

Alliance Community Healthcare, 115 Christopher Columbus Dr. Sliding-scale fees. Call 201-451-6300.

STD Testing in Paterson

Paterson’s city health department, 176 Broadway, lists free STI and HIV tests. CDC says no appointment is required, but the city’s pages show conflicting hours, so call 973-321-1277 first.

St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center runs a Comprehensive Care Center for HIV services at 160 Market St, 973-754-4701, with sliding-scale fees.

STD Testing in Trenton

Trenton’s main free option is the Henry J. Austin Health Center, 321 N Warren St. STI services are free, and the center takes most insurance for STI and PrEP care. It’s open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and sees patients 13 and older. Call 609-278-5900 to ask about walk-ins.

Planned Parenthood’s Trenton center at 437 E State St offers testing too, with sliding-scale fees. Call 609-599-4881.

Hamilton Township’s free Tuesday walk-in STI clinic doesn’t serve Trenton residents. They’re sent to Henry J. Austin.

STD Testing in Edison

Edison has no public STD clinic. You have three practical options.

Planned Parenthood, New Brunswick, 10B Industrial Dr. Testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and HIV. Call 732-246-2411.

Middlesex County Office of Health Services, East Brunswick. Sliding-scale clinic, but its listing doesn’t confirm STD testing. Call 732-565-3788 first.

Urgent care in Edison. Urgent cares on Route 1 and Route 27 are another route, but visit fees add to the cost, so ask for the full price first. A lab order from a clinician skips the visit fee.

New Jersey STD Clinics at a Glance

Hours and fees change, so call before you go.

Which Tests You Need, and When

Start with what happened, not the infection name.

New partner, no symptoms. Chlamydia and gonorrhea, by urine or a swab from the sites exposed, plus HIV and syphilis based on your history.

Discharge, burning, or sores. Add trichomoniasis, and a herpes swab if a sore is fresh.

Condomless sex in the last 72 hours. If HIV exposure is possible, get assessed the same day, because HIV PEP has to start within 72 hours. See our doxy-PEP guide.

Testing too early misses infections. Chlamydia and gonorrhea tests are reliable at two weeks, syphilis at six, and a lab HIV test at 18 to 45 days. If your first test was too early, repeat it. Our full-panel STD test guide covers each test, and the symptom checker is a good place to start.

New Jersey Rules That Help You

Minors can consent. In New Jersey, anyone under 18 can consent to their own STI testing and treatment. The catch is billing: an insurance statement can reach the policyholder, so ask about confidential billing or pay cash.

Your partner can be treated without a visit. New Jersey allows expedited partner therapy. If you’re diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea, your clinician can treat your partner without examining them.

Confidentiality is the default. Testing and records are protected by state law and HIPAA.

Testing From Home in New Jersey

If you’re worried about an exposure, have symptoms, or aren’t sure which tests to get, start with a free review. A doctor joins the chat for $39 if you need one. The doctor orders tests at a lab near you and reviews results in the chat. Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes are treated by prescription. A positive gonorrhea test usually means an injection in person, and the doctor tells you where. Syphilis and HIV get a referral because both need in-person follow-up. Weighing a mail-in kit? Read at-home STI tests vs. a lab first.

Conclusion

Free STD testing in New Jersey is available in four cities, but what’s covered varies by clinic. Start with your city’s health department: Jersey City’s City Clinic, Newark’s Mahoney Health Center, Paterson’s health department, or Henry J. Austin in Trenton. In Edison, plan on New Brunswick. Call first, because hours and appointment rules differ. To choose tests and treat what they find, August’s free review and $39 visit start from home.