How to Check Your DOT Drug Test Results

After a DOT drug test, the sample goes to a certified laboratory, but the lab does not report the result directly to you or your employer. There's a required review step in between — here's exactly how it works and how to check your status.

Step 1 — The lab tests the sample

The certified laboratory screens the sample and, for any non-negative screen, runs a confirmation test. A negative screen is reported as negative without further review at the lab level.

Step 2 — The Medical Review Officer (MRO) reviews it

Every result — negative or not — is reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO), a licensed physician trained in DOT drug testing rules. The MRO's job is to verify the result before it's reported to anyone else. This is a federal requirement, not an optional step.

Step 3 — Non-negative results trigger a direct call to you

If your initial screen comes back non-negative, the MRO will contact you directly — not your employer — to ask if there's a legitimate medical explanation before verifying the result one way or the other. This conversation is confidential.

Step 4 — The verified result is reported

Once verified, the MRO reports the final result (negative, positive, refusal, etc.) to your employer or C/TPA — not the underlying lab data, just the verified determination.

How long does it take?

• Negative results: typically available within 24-48 hours of the collection.
• Non-negative screens requiring MRO review: often 48-72 hours, sometimes longer if the MRO needs to reach you or review documentation.

How to check your result

• Call your C/TPA or testing coordinator — they can tell you whether your result has been verified, though they generally can't release lab-level detail themselves.
• Wait for the MRO to call you — if your result needs review, they will reach out directly; you don't need to chase this down.
• Ask your employer's DER (Designated Employer Representative) — once a verified result is reported, your employer's DER will have it and can confirm your status for safety-sensitive duty.

What happens after a positive result?

You are immediately removed from safety-sensitive duties. To return to work, you must complete the full SAP return-to-duty process: evaluation by a Substance Abuse Professional, any prescribed education or treatment, a negative return-to-duty test, and a follow-up testing schedule.