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Get a Free ConsultationDrug screen compliance means every DOT drug test of your CDL drivers follows 49 CFR Part 40: a urine specimen collected by a qualified collector on the Federal custody and control form, a 5-panel test at an HHS-certified laboratory, and review by a Medical Review Officer before you get the result.
Then you keep the records and report what the rules require.
A DOT drug screen tests for five drug classes, the DOT 5-panel. Since January 1, 2018, the laboratory can confirm 14 specific drugs within those classes, including the prescription opioids most often misused.
| Drug class | What the laboratory confirms |
|---|---|
| Marijuana | THC metabolite (THCA) |
| Cocaine | Benzoylecgonine (cocaine metabolite) |
| Amphetamines | Amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA |
| Opioids | Codeine, morphine, 6-AM (heroin), hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone |
| Phencyclidine | PCP |
The laboratory may not test a DOT specimen for anything else. If you want a broader company test, it has to be a separate collection on non-DOT paperwork, done after the DOT test, and it can never change a DOT result (49 CFR 40.13).
Fentanyl is not on the panel yet. DOT proposed adding fentanyl and norfentanyl on September 2, 2025, but as of October 2026 that rule is not final, and the cutoff table in 49 CFR 40.85 still lists only the five classes.
Every DOT drug test of a truck driver today is a urine test. Part 40 has allowed oral fluid (saliva) testing since 2023, but an employer can only use it once HHS has certified at least two oral fluid laboratories, one for the primary specimen and one for the split.
HHS’s list published September 30, 2026 still shows no certified oral fluid laboratory. Because of that, a DOT final rule effective June 10, 2026 requires a directly observed urine collection in the cases where Part 40 calls for an oral fluid test.
An instant cup or a hair test your company chooses to run is a company test, not a DOT test. It must be kept separate from the DOT process, and a DOT result always stands on its own.
A collection is compliant when the right person collects it on the right form and the specimen stays sealed and traceable until a certified laboratory tests it. Each point below is a Part 40 requirement, and the MRO checks the CCF for errors that can cancel a test.
When and why each test is ordered (pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, follow-up) is covered on our substance abuse testing program page. For how fast a selected driver must report, see our guide to DOT random drug testing time limits.
A Medical Review Officer (MRO), a licensed physician, reviews every result before it reaches you. On a laboratory positive, the MRO interviews the driver, and a legitimate medical explanation, such as a valid prescription, turns it into a verified negative (49 CFR 40.137).
A medical marijuana card or CBD never excuses a marijuana positive. A valid prescription for a drug on the panel can, but only through the MRO.
Retention depends on the result, not on a single rule for every form. Records must be kept in a secure place and produced at your principal place of business within two business days of an FMCSA request (49 CFR 382.401).
| Records | Keep for |
|---|---|
| Verified positive drug results, alcohol results of 0.02 or higher, refusals, SAP evaluations and referrals, program administration records, annual summaries | 5 years |
| Collection process records, including random selection documents and the documents behind post-accident and reasonable suspicion decisions | 2 years |
| Negative and canceled drug results, alcohol results under 0.02 | 1 year |
| Training records for supervisors and drivers | While they perform the duties, plus 2 years |
Your copy of each CCF goes with the test result it belongs to. You must also run a full Clearinghouse query before a new driver’s first safety-sensitive work and a query on every driver at least once a year (49 CFR 382.701). Keep the results with the rest of each driver qualification file.
We help you keep a DOT drug testing program that holds up in an audit, as part of our compliance programs for trucking companies:
An honest caveat: a consortium or third-party administrator can run much of the process, but the program stays yours. A service agent can’t act as your designated employer representative (49 CFR 40.3) and generally can’t decide whether one of your drivers refused a test or whether to order a reasonable suspicion or post-accident test; those calls are yours, except for owner-operators (49 CFR 40.355).
Use the form below with your USDOT number and how many drivers you have. Our team will review how your drug screens are handled today and what needs fixing.
It means your DOT drug tests follow 49 CFR Part 40 and FMCSA’s Part 382 from collection to recordkeeping: a qualified collector, the Federal custody and control form, a split urine specimen, an HHS-certified laboratory, MRO review, Clearinghouse reporting, and records kept for the required periods.
DOT drug tests of truck drivers are urine tests checked for the DOT 5-panel: marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, and PCP. Oral fluid testing is authorized but not yet available, because HHS has not certified any oral fluid laboratory as of September 30, 2026.
Not yet. DOT proposed adding fentanyl and norfentanyl to its drug testing panels on September 2, 2025, but as of October 2026 the rule is not final, so the DOT panel is still the 5-panel test.
No. DOT’s May 2026 official guidance says an MRO cannot verify a marijuana positive as negative because of a state-licensed marijuana product, even after the DEA’s April 2026 rescheduling, and medical marijuana cards or physician recommendations do not count as a legitimate medical explanation.
Five years for verified positives, refusals, alcohol results of 0.02 or higher, and SAP records; two years for collection process records; and one year for negative and canceled drug results, under 49 CFR 382.401.
The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on October 5, 2026.