Why Would a Laboratory Reject a DOT Specimen for Testing?

A laboratory rejects a DOT specimen for testing when it finds a fatal flaw, or a correctable flaw that is not corrected in time. Under 49 CFR 40.83(c), the laboratory inspects each specimen and Custody and Control Form (CCF) for these fatal flaws:

• There is no CCF
• A specimen was collected but none was submitted with the CCF
• There is no printed collector's name and no collector's signature
• Two separate collections were performed using one CCF
• The specimen ID numbers on the bottle and the CCF do not match
• The bottle seal is broken or shows evidence of tampering
• There is not enough specimen in the primary bottle for analysis
• For oral fluid, the collector used an expired device
• For oral fluid, the expiration date is missing from Step 4 of the CCF and cannot be determined from Bottles A and B

Under 40.83(d), the laboratory documents its findings, stops the testing process and reports the result as Rejected for Testing. Under 40.83(h), a broken seal or too little specimen is not fatal if the bottles can be redesignated, for example when the primary bottle leaked but the sealed split bottle holds enough specimen. The laboratory then marks Bottle B as A and Bottle A as B, and initials and dates the change.

Some flaws can be corrected. If the collector's signature is missing from Step 4, the laboratory keeps testing, holds the specimen for at least 5 business days and tries to obtain a correction under 49 CFR 40.205(b)(1). If a non-Federal or expired CCF was used, the laboratory also holds the specimen for at least 5 business days and tries to obtain a correction under 40.205(b)(2). In either case, an uncorrected flaw is reported as Rejected for Testing. If the urine temperature was not checked and the Remarks line has no entry about it, the laboratory tries for five business days to obtain a correction under 49 CFR 40.208 before reporting the result. Under 40.208(b), this omission does not cancel the test. How a Rejected for Testing result affects the test is covered in What Does a Cancelled DOT Drug Test Mean?.

Lab profiles in the MyDrugTesting.com directory have a Report profile link near the bottom of the page.