Updated 3:45 p.m. Monday, May 16

You can once again order another round of free at-home COVID-19 tests online from the federal government and the U.S. Postal Service — and this time, you can order eight.

Previously, the federal government provided only four free tests per order, with each household able to make two orders.

The White House program offers free at-home COVID tests to every household in the United States, to be shipped by the Postal Service. The tests and shipping are completely free of charge.

Skip straight to:

• Why am I having problems ordering my at-home COVID tests?
• I want to get reimbursed by my health insurer for tests instead.

Keep reading for what you need to know about these at-home tests.

How many free COVID tests can my family and I get through USPS?

Good news: If it's the first time your household has placed an order for free COVID tests via the Postal Service, you can now place an online order for 16 free COVID tests for your household today, in three separate orders.

The first round of orders was made available to households on Jan. 18, offering each household four COVID tests. Second orders opened up on March 7, offering each household another four COVID tests.

This third and latest round is offering each household eight new tests. (And just to throw a few more numbers into the mix, the Postal Service confirmation page says the eight tests will arrive as two separate packages, with two separate tracking numbers.)

How it works:

• If your household hasn't ordered any free COVID tests yet, you can now place three orders and receive 16 free tests (4 + 4 + 8).
• If your household has placed only one order so far, you can now place two more orders and receive another 12 free tests (4 + 8.)
• If your household has placed the two orders you were entitled to, you can now place one more order and receive another eight free tests.

This program is separate from the one that allows folks with private health insurance to get reimbursed for the cost of at-home COVID tests. Read more about getting reimbursed by your health insurer for at-home tests.

No payment or credit card details are required to place an order. You also don't need to provide any ID or health insurance information. You can, however, supply an email address if you'd like to receive shipping notifications from the Postal Service via email.

You also will not be asked for proof of citizenship or about your immigration status. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says that accessing free COVID testing (or getting a COVID vaccine) does not make you a public charge and won't affect any current or future green card applications.

If you or someone in your community doesn't have access to the internet to order online, the Postal Service says you can contact the CovidTests.gov test kit order-fulfillment help line by calling (800) 232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). Please note that an earlier version of this number given on the Postal Service's FAQ page appears to have been the wrong one. You also should be prepared for potentially long wait times at this help line.

The Postal Service also offers a Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) specifically to assist disabled people in placing their orders. You can call (888) 677-1199, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, or email dial@usaginganddisability.org.

Something very important to note: Every residential address (and residential P.O. box) in the United States is eligible to receive up to eight home COVID tests — not every person or every family. This means multiple orders to the same address under different names won't be processed.

For example, if you live with several roommates, or in a large multigenerational household, only one person can place an order for that address. Realistically, this might mean that the tests you receive are not enough to cover everyone in your household.

On its website, the Postal Service states that it will "limit [the number of orders to two] per residential address." Each order includes four tests.

Tests are also available for residential addresses in U.S. territories and overseas military and diplomatic addresses (APO/FPO/DPO).

Can I pick up my tests instead of getting them delivered?

The federal government's FAQ for the free at-home COVID tests available via the Postal Service states that, currently, you cannot pick up your tests somewhere else.

However, your county may be operating its own free at-home COVID test delivery/pickup program, or considering starting one. Check your county's public health website.

When will my free COVID at-home tests arrive?

The White House's free COVID test homepage says that your order "will usually ship in 7-12 days." The White House originally said it would prioritize shipments to Americans from ZIP codes that have experienced high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with the first 20% of each day's orders going to those areas.

What kind of tests are these at-home COVID tests?

These at-home COVID tests are antigen tests that you can use whenever and wherever you prefer, without requiring the assistance of a clinic. Your test results are usually available within 30 minutes, and these types of tests are good for telling you whether you're actively infectious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you use an at-home test if:

• You begin to have COVID symptoms.
• It's been at least five days since you came in close contact with someone who has COVID.
• You're gathering indoors with a group of people who are at risk of severe disease, or who are unvaccinated.

Read more about the difference between at-home antigen tests and PCR tests.

So I can order these free COVID tests for my household even if I don't currently need to get tested?

That's right.

The White House has explicitly said that the goal of these at-home test deliveries is "to help ensure Americans have tests on hand if a need arises." Go ahead and order yours.

I'm having problems ordering my home COVID tests. What's up?

The Postal Service says it will send three sets of free tests to "valid residential addresses" (and residential P.O. boxes). But this obviously creates problems for people who live in spaces that don't fit the Postal Service's definition of a valid residential address, from folks with less common mailing addresses (like half street numbers) to our unhoused neighbors.

The federal government's FAQ states that, currently, you cannot pick up your tests somewhere or have them held at your local post office instead of getting them shipped to your home. (Residential P.O. boxes are acceptable, however.)

The Postal Service's FAQ on ordering free at-home COVID tests note that "some residents of multi-unit buildings may have difficulty placing orders" because the Postal Service's system "does not recognize the address being entered as a single residence within a multi-unit building." If that's you, the Postal Service advises you to file a service request with them.

When the program launched, there were isolated reports of issues relating to the website’s address-verification tool erroneously enforcing the four-per-household cap on apartment buildings and other multiunit dwellings, but it was not immediately clear how widespread the issue was.

If you're experiencing issues with ordering your at-home COVID tests, try refreshing the page and then attempting to order again — especially if your residential address includes an apartment number. You might also consider that someone in your household has already ordered the two orders set aside for your residential address.

If the system isn't recognizing your address as valid, the Postal Service recommends that you confirm the proper formatting of your address by using the USPS.com Look Up a ZIP Code tool. "Once you validate your address, you may attempt ordering your tests again," says the Postal Service.

As San Francisco Chronicle journalist Jessica Christian noted on Twitter, if your home address is actually a commercial address, or connected to a commercial building, the Postal Service says it can't send you your tests:

If you're still having problems, the Postal Service says you can file a service request.

If your problem is something else, try consulting these links to see whether your problem or error message is listed:

• U.S. Postal Service: FAQ on ordering free at-home COVID tests
• White House: FAQ on ordering free at-home COVID tests

The Postal Service says that people with questions about eligibility, the online ordering form, shipping or delivery can contact the Postal Service Help Desk at (800) ASK-USPS, or (800) 275-8777.

Remember, if you or someone in your community doesn't have access to the internet to order online, the Postal Service says you can contact the covidtests.gov test kit order fulfillment help line by calling (800) 232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). Please note that an earlier version of this number given on the Postal Service's FAQ page appears to have been the wrong one. You should also be prepared for potentially long wait times using this help line.

We'll be monitoring for updates on these issues, and looking for answers for folks who have been experiencing problems ordering their free at-home COVID tests. In the meantime, get our advice on finding a free or low-cost COVID test near you.

How do I know if which COVID at-home test order site is legit?

The Federal Trade Commission has already warned that scammers are popping up online to sell fake COVID tests, so it’s especially important to know what websites are the right ones to request free at-home tests.

There are only two authorized websites to request tests:

• covidtests.gov and its Spanish-language equivalent covidtests.gov/es
• The Postal Service ordering portal that page links to: special.usps.com/covidtest, which is also available in Simplified Chinese and Spanish.

Remember: these tests are free, so you will never be prompted to share your financial information, health insurance details, Social Security number or immigration status.

You are required to share only your full name and address to order your free COVID tests. So remember: If a site is asking you to give information more than that, it’s very likely that you are on the wrong website.

Are these tests different from the ones I can get my insurer to reimburse?

Yes. As of Jan. 15, people with private health insurance can get reimbursed by their insurer for the cost of up to eight at-home COVID tests per month.

This program applies only to at-home tests purchased on or after Jan. 15, and covers eight free tests per covered individual per month. "That means a family of four, all on the same plan, would be able to get 32 of these tests covered by their health plan per month," confirmed the White House.

If you have private health insurance, how you get your reimbursement and your tests, and whether you get reimbursed after purchase or have costs covered up-front, totally depends on which insurer you have. Each insurance company is doing this differently, so make sure you know what’s available for you according to your plan before you buy a test.

People covered by Medicare are not eligible to get reimbursed for at-home COVID-19 tests. However, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans are required to cover the costs of at-home tests.

Read our full guide to getting reimbursed by your health care provider for the cost of at-home COVID tests.

This story includes reporting from The Associated Press and NPR.