Lie Detector Testing Cost

• Lie detector tests conducted by certified professionals typically cost $200 -$2,000. The length of the test plays a factor in the price, with all-day tests on the high end of the range. Typical two-hour, single-issue polygraph exams are generally $200 -$800. For example, Holland Polygraph Services, servicing western Washington state, starts tests at $400, but warns the price can go much higher. The Polygraph Examiner, which operates in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, claims most tests it administers cost $350 -$600. Capitol Polygraph, in Michigan, charges $325 -$500 for most tests.
• Home lie detectors are also available for about $90 -$700, although the accuracy of home testing units and voice-based testers is not considered reliable. (The American Polygraph Association says research has shown about 65% accuracy in voice-stress tests.) A voice-stress test called the De-FIB-ulator sells for $89 -$99. Older lie detector units are sold on eBay, typically for about $700.

• A single-issue polygraph test typically takes about two hours to complete. During the test, four to six sensors are attached to the test-taker's body. The test begins with a pre-test interview with control questions and is followed by the actual test and collection of physiological data. The test subject is likely to be asked to lie in order to elicit a physiological response as a part of the control questions. Most tests end with an analysis which is shared with the test taker.
• Police Link, an online police community resource, posted an article on "Taking the Mystery out of the Polygraph Test" that provides an overview of what to expect during an exam.
• The Employee Polygraph Protection Act, a federal law established in 1988, set guidelines for private employers to conduct lie detector tests. The American Polygraph Association provides an overview of the law. The Department of Labor has the full text of the law.
• Polygraphists are certified through the American Polygraph Association after completing an accredited training program. StateUniversity.com describes a polygraphist's necessary training and education.

• Some professional testing services offer discounts on multiple tests on the same issue. For example, C & C Polygraph, with several offices in Idaho, offers unspecified discounts on multiple tests. C & C Polygraph also offers a 20% discount to return customers. Equalizer Polygraph, serving western Washington, has a "His and Her" special, with $50 off the total cost when two partners take an infidelity related polygraph test.

• The American Association of Police Polygraphists offers a searchable database of lie detector testing professionals.
• The American Polygraph Association has a searchable listing of its members.
• Contrary to a popular myth, polygraph tests are admissible in court. The Polygraph Examiner provides an outline of previous cases involving polygraph admissibility.

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