What Are the HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing?

The HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs are the standards the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), sets for federal agency workplace drug testing programs. They also cover the laboratories, instrumented initial test facilities (IITFs), collectors and Medical Review Officers (MROs) that serve those agencies. HHS publishes separate guidelines for urine (88 FR 70768, effective February 1, 2024) and for oral fluid (88 FR 70814, effective October 10, 2023).

Who they apply to. Under Section 1.1, the guidelines apply to executive agencies, the Uniformed Services other than the Armed Forces, and most other federal employing units, with stated exceptions such as the U.S. Postal Service and the judicial and legislative branches. The intelligence community is covered only to the extent its agency heads agree. They also apply to the laboratories, IITFs, collectors and MROs that provide services to federal agencies. They do not apply to drug testing under authority other than Executive Order 12564, such as testing of people in the criminal justice system.

What they cover. The guidelines set specimen collection procedures, drug and specimen validity testing criteria, laboratory and IITF certification, MRO qualifications and review procedures, and split specimen testing. HHS publishes the authorized drug and biomarker testing panels separately in the Federal Register. The current panels took effect July 7, 2025 (90 FR 4662), and HHS's most recent panel notice, published March 13, 2026 (91 FR 12308), made no changes to them. HHS also publishes a monthly list of certified laboratories and IITFs.

Relationship to DOT and NRC. The guidelines govern federal agency programs. In the 2026 proposals, HHS states that the revisions may affect industries regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), depending on whether those agencies incorporate the final revisions into their own programs. DOT testing follows 49 CFR Part 40, which permits a U.S. laboratory to participate in DOT drug testing only if HHS certifies it under the National Laboratory Certification Program for each specimen testing methodology it performs (49 CFR 40.81).

Pending proposals. On October 29, 2026, HHS proposed revisions to both the urine and oral fluid guidelines (FR 2026-22122 and FR 2026-22121). Among other changes, HHS proposes publishing the drug and biomarker testing panels in the Federal Register only when they change, rather than each year. The proposals are not final, and the current guidelines remain in effect.

The FAQs on SAMHSA cutoff levels, HHS-certified laboratories and 49 CFR Part 40 cover related topics.