How long do pre employment drug test results take? For a negative, our service pages put it at typically 24 to 72 hours from the lab. A result that is not negative takes longer, because it has to go through confirmation testing and, on a DOT test, a Medical Review Officer before anyone tells you.
The collection itself is the quick part. Here is the whole timeline, and the rules that set its pace.
The on-site collection takes about 15 minutes when the donor can provide a specimen right away. That is the figure on our pre-employment and non-DOT service pages.
Two things can stretch it.
How much urine is needed for a pre-employment drug test? For a DOT test, 45 mL in a single void (49 CFR 40.193(a)). The collector then splits it: at least 30 mL into the primary bottle and at least 15 mL into the split bottle (40.71).
Shy bladder. If the donor cannot provide enough, the DOT procedure gives them up to three hours and up to 40 ounces of fluid to try again (40.193(b)). If three hours pass without a sufficient specimen, the collector stops and notifies the employer, and a medical evaluation process follows. Our pricing page lists the hourly rate for shy-bladder standby.
The temperature check happens no later than four minutes after the donor hands over the specimen (40.65(b)), so it does not add time.
Every specimen gets an initial test. Under 49 CFR 40.85(b), a result below the initial cutoff is reported negative and the testing stops there. That is the fast path, and it is why most negatives come back within our stated 24 to 72 hours.
A specimen at or above the initial cutoff goes to a second, more specific confirmation test (40.85(b) and (c)). That extra step is the first reason a non-negative is slower than a negative.
Utah law has the same idea for non-DOT tests: before a result counts as a failed test, it must be confirmed by gas chromatography, GC-mass spectroscopy or a comparably reliable method (Utah Code 34-38-6(6)(b)).
The lab must transmit results to the MRO "in a timely manner, preferably the same day" its review is complete (40.97).
This is the step that can add days. Before verifying a confirmed positive, adulterated, substituted or invalid result, the MRO must try to talk to the donor directly. The rules:
Verified positives, refusals and results that need an immediate observed recollection go to the DER the same day as verification or the next business day (40.167(b)). Written reports of verified results must reach the DER within two days of verification (40.167(c)).
On our service pages, the negative window is the same for both: typically 24 to 72 hours. The difference shows up on non-negatives. A DOT test always goes through MRO review. For a non-DOT test, MRO review depends on your company policy, though our non-DOT page calls it best practice.
More on the DOT side: how long a DOT drug test takes.
CDL drivers: no. Under 49 CFR 382.301(a), the employer must have a verified negative from the MRO or C/TPA before the driver performs any safety-sensitive function. And 49 CFR 40.17 is blunt about delays: if a result is slow to arrive, the employer "must not assume that 'no news is good news'" and must not let the applicant start.
Non-DOT hires: your written policy decides. Utah law does not set a waiting rule for non-DOT hires, so put yours in writing.
From the rules above, these are the points where time is added:
The last one is the easiest to prevent. The lab must try for up to five business days to fix certain form errors, such as an unchecked temperature box, before it reports (40.83(f)). A collector who fills in the form correctly the first time keeps that from happening.
Results go to the employer. A DOT MRO reports results to the employer's DER (40.165). For a non-negative, the MRO calls the donor first.
It can. If the lab reports a negative-dilute with creatinine between 2 and 5 mg/dL, the MRO directs a second collection under direct observation (40.67(a)(3)).
For CDL hires, see what happens if you fail a DOT drug test. A verified positive is also reported to the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
The lab and MRO set their own pace. The part you control is how fast the collection happens. BBB Mobile DOT Drug Testing comes to your location, with same-day and next-day scheduling typically available, and the specimen ships to the lab the same day it is collected. See pre-employment drug testing in Utah, price it in the estimator, or call (435) 395-1459.
BBB Mobile comes to your job site. DOT-compliant collection, SAMHSA-approved lab, MRO-reviewed results. Serving Park City, Heber City, Salt Lake City, and all of Utah.
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