We investigated the usefulness of microsatellite loci in the white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, for estimating parentage and relatedness using algorithms developed for dominant markers. Microsatellite alleles were scored as independent dominant markers, and the resultant data were used with likelihood ratio statistics to estimate parentage. We tested three parentage scenarios: (1) assignment to parent pairs, (2) assignment to sires and dams independently when all possible parents were included (three sires and three dams), and (3) assignment to sires and dams when the true sires and dams were combined with a broodstock of 157 fish. Accuracy of assignment to parent-pairs exceeded 99% (scenario 1). Assignment accuracy to sires and dams independently was lower (scenario 2) but we present methods to improve this accuracy even when the number of possible sires and dams is large (scenario 3). Using LOD scores in conjunction with δ values, a statistic quantifying confidence in the LOD scores, accuracy was maintained at a high level even when the number of sires and dams is large (n=90 and 73, respectively). Pairwise relatedness estimates were also made for fish from known sib groups to test if the correct sib groups could be identified using the dominant marker approach. The use of unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering algorithm to identify sib groups from a matrix of relatedness values proved to be successful for identifying all full-sib groups. The results suggest our approach of scoring microsatellite alleles as dominant markers can be used to accurately estimate parentage and relatedness.