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Urine Microalbumin (Spot)

Small amounts of albumin in your urine, from one urine sample.

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  • 2,000+ lab locations. Find one near you
  • Nothing due at the lab. FSA / HSA accepted
  • Ordered by a licensed clinician

At a glance

Collection
Urine sample
Collected at your visit. No needle.
Preparation
None
Nothing to do ahead of time. Water is fine.
Results
2 to 4 days
Typical turnaround after your visit.
Where
2,000+ lab locations
Nationwide, with nothing due at the lab.

About this test

Albumin is a protein that healthy kidneys mostly keep in the blood. This test measures albumin in a single urine sample. It does not include urine creatinine, which is often used to adjust for how concentrated a sample is. It is often checked with diabetes or high blood pressure.

For adults 18 and older. Test availability varies by lab location.

Who should take this test?

This test is for adults who want to check urine albumin, often with diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease in the family, read alongside blood kidney tests.

Ask about this test

Not sure this is the right test?

AI-generated. For information only, not medical advice. Call 911 for an emergency.

What does this test measure?

Your result shows how much albumin is passing into your urine, which can help you and a healthcare provider follow kidney health alongside blood tests like creatinine and eGFR.

Albumin, urine (microalbumin)
Albumin is a protein that healthy kidneys mostly keep in the blood. Small amounts in urine can be an early sign of kidney stress, which is why it is checked in people with diabetes or high blood pressure. Exercise, fever, and infection can raise it for a short time.
Why it’s measured: Small amounts of albumin in urine can be an early kidney signal.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Order online

    Check out here. A licensed clinician in your state reviews your order and sends it to the lab.

  2. Step 2

    Visit a lab

    Bring a photo ID to any of 2,000+ lab locations. No fasting needed, and nothing is due at the lab.

  3. Step 3

    Get your results

    Results post to your account, usually in 2 to 4 days, each number next to the lab’s reference range.

Find a lab near you

Choose from 2,000+ lab locations nationwide. Your order works at any of them.

What your results tell you

Urine albumin is reported as an amount in your sample. The lab has not set a reference range for this version, so a healthcare provider reads it.

  • Your number next to the lab’s reference range
  • Explained in plain language
  • A licensed clinician reviews your order and, if appropriate, orders the test.
  • A lab report you can download and share

Urine albumin can rise for a short time for many reasons, so a healthcare provider may repeat it before drawing any conclusion.

Clinical-grade testing, from the comfort of home.

From the lab to your report, every step of our process meets the gold standard in medical testing.

  • CLIA-certified labs

    Every lab we partner with is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, meeting both state and federal standards with regular independent inspections.

  • We protect your health data

    We protect your health data with encryption and do not sell it. Some results must be reported to public health authorities by law. See our Privacy Notice.

  • Rigorous quality assurance

    All partner labs run regular internal quality checks, participate in proficiency testing, and comply with federal and state lab regulations.

  • Clinician-reviewed reports

    Results are reviewed by an independent, licensed clinician.

Questions

Common questions.

Anything else, our care team answers by phone, text, or email.

Hard exercise in the 24 hours before the test, an infection, a fever, and very high blood sugar or blood pressure can raise urine albumin above your usual level. Plan your visit after a rest day.

If you have an infection, a fever, or very high blood sugar or blood pressure, tell the healthcare provider who reads your results, since a repeat test may be suggested. Don’t stop or change any medicine or supplement without talking with your healthcare provider.

A blood albumin test measures the main protein in your blood, mostly as a liver and fluid-⁠balance marker. This test looks for albumin in urine. Healthy kidneys let very little albumin pass, so finding more than expected in urine is a kidney question rather than a liver one.

Urine can be more or less concentrated depending on how much you drink, which changes the amount of albumin in a single sample. Comparing albumin with urine creatinine, as a ratio, adjusts for that. This test measures albumin alone and does not report a ratio, so a healthcare provider reads it with that in mind.

One result does not diagnose kidney disease. Urine albumin can vary from day to day, and the lab has not set a reference range for this single-⁠sample version. A healthcare provider may look for a repeat result and read it with blood tests like eGFR.

Lab tests are informational and don’t diagnose conditions on their own. Available to adults 18 and older; test availability varies by lab location. A licensed clinician reviews your order and, if appropriate, orders the test. All testing is performed at CLIA-certified laboratories. Not for emergencies: if you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911.