Federal Workplace Drug Testing: Who's Certified for Accurate Results?

You might care about this because the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regularly publishes a list of laboratories and testing facilities. These facilities are specially certified to perform drug tests for federal government agencies. This notice, published on April 2, 2026, updates that list. It shows which labs meet the strict rules set by the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs. These guidelines cover both urine and oral fluid drug testing. The list is important because it tells everyone which facilities are approved to conduct these sensitive tests. If a lab loses its certification, or chooses to withdraw from the program, it is removed from this public list. This document is interesting because it clearly shows the high standards required for federal workplace drug testing. To be certified, a laboratory or testing facility must go through several rounds of performance tests and on-site inspections. To keep their certification, they must continue to participate in quarterly testing programs and have regular inspections. These strict steps help ensure that drug test results for federal employees are accurate and fair. A key point in this notice is that currently, no laboratories are certified to conduct oral fluid drug testing, even though the guidelines allow for it. However, a specific list of facilities is approved for urine drug testing. This information would be most useful for several groups. Federal employees who are subject to drug testing can understand the process better. Human resources departments and safety managers in federal agencies rely on this list to ensure they use approved testing sites. Laboratories that want to work with federal agencies need to know the certification requirements. Legal professionals who handle employment law or administrative cases related to federal drug testing would also find this notice very relevant. It helps everyone involved understand the official standards and approved facilities for these important workplace programs.