What Happens to Personal Belongings during a DOT Urine Collection?

Under 49 CFR 40.61(f), the collector directs the employee to remove outer clothing such as a coat, jacket or hat and to leave it, along with any briefcase, purse or other personal belongings, with the collector or in a mutually agreeable location.

The rule states that the employee may keep a wallet and may ask for a receipt for belongings left with the collector. The employee empties pockets and displays the items, and may put them back if nothing could be used to tamper with a specimen. The collector may not ask the employee to remove other clothing or change into a gown, except when the collection is done with a DOT agency-authorized medical exam.

The rule also states that the collector advises the employee that failing to follow these directions is a refusal to test. Under 49 CFR 40.63(c), the employee may not take anything from the collection kit into the room used for urination except the collection container.