Template · Offers and pre-employment
Drug test consent form
In short
A drug test consent form is the document a candidate or employee signs to agree to a drug or alcohol test and to the release of results to the employer. This template covers the reason for testing, specimen type, substances tested, how results are shared, a confidential medication disclosure to the medical review officer, and signatures.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Consent and Release Form template
Drug and Alcohol Testing Consent and Release Form
Read this form before you sign it. Testing is carried out by a certified collection site and laboratory. Results are reviewed by a licensed medical review officer (MRO) before they are reported to [Company Name]. Do not list prescription medications on this form; the MRO will contact you directly if a result needs a medical explanation.
Donor details
- Full legal name
- Candidate or employee ID
- Position applied for or held
- Work location / site
- Phone (for the medical review officer to reach you)
Reason for test
- Reason
- Pre-employment (after conditional offer)Reasonable suspicionPost-accident / post-incidentRandom (safety-sensitive role)Return to dutyFollow-upPeriodic / annual
- Regulated by U.S. DOT or another federal agency?
- No: company policy testYes: DOT (use the federal Custody and Control Form)Yes: other federal program
Test details
- Specimen type
- UrineOral fluidHairBreath alcoholBlood (post-accident only, where policy allows)
- Panel
- 5-panel10-panelOther as listed below
- Substances tested
- Collection site name and address
- Collect by (date)
Consent and release
I consent to provide a [specimen type] specimen for drug and/or alcohol testing for the reason marked above. I understand that the specimen will be tested by a certified laboratory for the substances listed, and that any non-negative result will be reviewed by a medical review officer, who may contact me before reporting the result. I authorize the collection site, laboratory and medical review officer to release the verified result to [Company Name] for employment purposes only. I understand that [Company Name] will keep the result confidential and separate from my personnel file, and will share it only with people who need it to make an employment decision or as required by law. I understand that refusing to test, failing to appear by the deadline without a valid reason, or tampering with a specimen will be treated as [a refusal to test, which may result in withdrawal of my conditional offer or disciplinary action under the Drug and Alcohol Policy]. I understand that if my result is verified positive, I may request a test of the split specimen or a retest where the law or policy provides for it, and that I will be told how to do so. I have received a copy of [Company Name]'s Drug and Alcohol Policy.
State-specific notices
[Insert any notice your state requires, for example: information about lawful off-duty cannabis use, the right to explain a positive result, the right to a confirmatory test, or the location of the policy. Remove this block if no state notice applies.]
Signatures
- Donor signature
- Date
- Witness / HR representative name
- Witness signature
For HR use only
- Test ordered by
- Date ordered
- Date collected
- Verified result received
- NegativeNegative-dilute (retest per policy)Positive (verified by MRO)RefusalCancelled
- Date result received
- Action taken
- Stored in confidential medical file
How to use this template
- Confirm your written drug and alcohol policy covers this role and reason for testing, and check any state or city rules for the work location.
- For pre-employment tests, make the conditional offer first, then send the consent form with the collection site details and a deadline.
- Mark the reason for test, specimen type and panel, and list the exact substances your policy covers.
- Have the candidate or employee sign before collection, and give them a copy of the form and the policy.
- Act only on results verified by the medical review officer, never on an instant or unverified screen.
- Store the signed form and result in a confidential medical file, separate from the personnel file.
When you need a drug test consent form
Any time you send a candidate or employee for a drug test, get signed consent first. The form shows the person agreed to the test and to the lab releasing results to you, and it records exactly what was tested and why. It is standard for pre-employment screening in logistics, transportation, healthcare, manufacturing and security, and for post-accident and reasonable suspicion testing anywhere you have a testing policy.
The form should sit under a written drug and alcohol policy. The policy sets out who is tested, when, for what and what happens after a positive result. The consent form applies that policy to one person and one test. Without the policy, the form has nothing to point to.
Order of steps: offer first, then test
Make the conditional offer before you test. Under the ADA, tests for illegal drug use are not medical exams, so they can technically happen earlier, but alcohol tests are medical exams and must come after a conditional offer. Testing after the offer also keeps the process clean: you are testing people you have decided to hire, and any medical information that surfaces comes after the decision.
In a typical high-volume flow, the offer goes out by text and email, the candidate signs this form and a background check authorization form in the same session, and the collection site booking follows within 24 hours. A clear drug test notification email with the address, deadline and what ID to bring cuts no-shows significantly. Give candidates 48 to 72 hours to test. Longer windows mean more drop-off; shorter ones penalize people working other jobs.
DOT versus non-DOT testing
If the role is safety-sensitive under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, such as commercial drivers who need a CDL, testing follows 49 CFR Part 40. DOT tests use the federal Custody and Control Form, a fixed panel and set procedures, and employers cannot add their own substances to a DOT test. You can still use a company consent form for record-keeping, but it does not replace the federal paperwork.
For everyone else, the employer chooses the panel under its own policy. A 5-panel urine test is the long-standing baseline; 10-panel tests add substances such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates. Oral fluid is popular for volume hiring because collection is observed and quick. Hair tests look back about 90 days and suit roles where long-term use matters more than recent use.
Legal and privacy notes
- Cannabis. A growing number of states and cities restrict pre-employment testing for cannabis or protect lawful off-duty use for many roles, with exceptions for safety-sensitive and federally regulated positions. Check the rules where the person works before you include THC in the panel.
- Medication. Do not ask candidates to list prescriptions on the form. The MRO handles that confidentially and reports only the verified result.
- Confidentiality. Treat results as confidential medical information and keep them separate from the personnel file.
- State procedures. Some states require written policies, advance notice, certified labs, confirmatory tests or a chance to explain a positive result.
- Background check vendors. If a consumer reporting agency delivers the result, FCRA disclosure and adverse action steps can apply.
Rules vary by state and country, so review the form with counsel for each location.
Common mistakes
- Acting on an instant on-site cup before lab confirmation and MRO review.
- Testing some candidates for a role and not others. Apply the policy consistently to everyone in the same job.
- Leaving THC on a pre-employment panel in a state that restricts it.
- Filing results in the general personnel file where managers can browse them.
- Letting a test deadline slide for weeks, then rescinding an offer for "refusal" without warning. State the deadline on the form and send reminders.
Frequently asked questions
What is a drug screening consent form?
It is a signed document in which a candidate or employee agrees to a drug or alcohol test and authorizes the collection site, laboratory and medical review officer to release the verified result to the employer for employment purposes.
Can an employer drug test without consent?
Testing requires the person to provide a specimen, so in practice it needs their cooperation, and most state laws and policies require written consent. A refusal is usually treated under the employer's policy, for example as grounds to withdraw a conditional offer.
When should a pre-employment drug test happen?
After a conditional job offer. Drug tests can legally happen earlier in many cases, but alcohol tests are medical exams under the ADA and must follow an offer, and testing after the offer keeps the process consistent.
What does drug and alcohol testing consent need to include?
The reason for the test, specimen type, substances tested, who receives results, confidentiality, what counts as a refusal, the right to a split specimen or retest where available, any required state notices and the person's signature and date.
Do candidates have to disclose prescriptions on the form?
No. Prescription information should go only to the medical review officer, who contacts the donor directly about any non-negative result and reports a verified result to the employer.