What Types of Drug Tests Are Allowed under DOT Rules?

49 CFR 40.210 states that "Both urine and oral fluid specimens are authorized for collection and testing" under Part 40, and that only specimens screened and confirmed at HHS-certified laboratories are allowed. The same section states that point-of-collection urine tests, point-of-collection oral fluid tests, hair testing and instant tests "are not authorized."

An employer uses one specimen type or the other at the beginning of a testing event, not both. If a problem in the collection requires a second collection, such as an insufficient quantity of urine or a temperature out of range, the rule allows a different specimen type to be chosen through the employer's standing order or a discussion with the collector, or by the employer's service agent when there is no standing order and the DER cannot be reached.

Under 49 CFR 40.81, a U.S. laboratory may take part in DOT drug testing only if HHS certifies it under the National Laboratory Certification Program for each testing method it performs. Under 49 CFR 40.67(g)(5), oral fluid testing requires at least two HHS-certified oral fluid laboratories, and the HHS laboratory list published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2026 states that no laboratories are certified for oral fluid.

Related topics are covered in How Is a Urine Specimen's Temperature Checked at a DOT Collection? and What Happens When an Employee Cannot Provide Enough Urine for a DOT Test?.

The MyDrugTesting.com directory lists laboratories, collection sites and other drug testing providers that can be searched by location and service.