How Long Does a Drug Test Take? Types and Results

A drug test checks for illegal or certain prescription drugs in the body. Drug testing is often used for pre-employment screening to determine if a candidate is fit for a job. However, it is also used in law enforcement, professional sports, and addiction treatment.

If you have to take a drug test or you’re waiting on results, it can be nerve-wracking. Different types of drug tests have different turnaround times, and different factors can affect how quickly you get the results back. Here’s everything you need to know.

A drug test is an analysis of a bodily sample that screens for prescription or illicit drugs. The most common drug test most people have experienced, particularly in pre-employment screening, is a urine test, but you can also test for drug use with a sample of hair, saliva, blood, or sweat.

Depending on the purpose of the test and its type, it may look for prescription drugs or illicit substances, such as heroin or cocaine. Some tests look for a specific drug, like a marijuana hair follicle test, while others screen for an entire class of drugs, like amphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, steroids, and opioids or opiates.[1]

Pre-employment drug screenings usually use urine tests because they are relatively inexpensive and can deliver results within a few hours to several days after the test. Rapid turnaround time is important for hiring decisions.

Uses for Drug Tests

Drug testing can be used for different applications, but the purpose is always to detect the presence of a drug or a group of drugs and potential drug use or misuse. Some of the uses for drug tests include:

• Pre-employment screening: Employers may screen potential candidates for drug use to make hiring decisions or after getting hurt on the job.
• Drug addiction treatment: Drug testing may be used to monitor drug use as part of an addiction treatment program.
• Professional sports: Professional sports organizations may test for performance-enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids.
• Law enforcement: Drug testing may be used to provide evidence for a case or as part of a criminal investigation.
• Medical: Drug testing may be used by doctors to identify misuse of a potentially addictive drug during medical treatment.

How Long Do Drug Tests Take to Deliver Results?

The results of a drug test can vary by the type of test, the provider, the drugs it tests for, and more.

How Long Does a Urine Drug Test Take?

Urine drug tests screen for commonly used drugs like opiates/opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, and phencyclidine (PCP). They’re known as 5-panel urine tests and are common in pre-employment drug screenings, including those conducted by state and federal agencies like the Department of Transportation (DOT).

A urine test is preferred because of its fast turnaround times. If the results are negative, they may be available as quickly as a day or two after the lab receives the specimen.[2] If the results are positive, verifying and delivering results may take four to six days.

In addition to 5-panel urine tests, some tests check for a broader range of drug types. These tests may take a day or two longer than basic urine tests.

How Long Does a Saliva Drug Test Take?

Saliva drug tests aren’t commonly used, but they can be a reliable method with a low risk of contamination. Saliva tests can detect a broad range of drugs and offer a turnaround time of 24-36 hours after the lab receives the specimen.[3] If the results are positive, it may take an additional three days for results.

How Long Does a Blood Drug Test Take for Results?

Blood drug tests may be used if urine and other tests aren’t appropriate. For example, law enforcement may use blood tests if someone is under the influence of a substance. Blood drug tests have a short detection period because drugs are metabolized and excreted quickly, but you can get results from a blood test in as little as a few minutes to a few hours.[4]

How Long Does a Hair Drug Test Take to Get Results?

A hair drug test looks for the same drugs as other tests, but they can detect drug use for a much longer period. The body metabolizes drugs and excretes them, which deposits them on the hair. The indicators of drug use remain on the hair until it grows out, meaning that drugs can be detectable for months after last use.[5]

Because of the differences in the process, hair tests can deliver negative results in two or three days, but positive results may take up to a week.

Factors That Affect Drug Testing Turnaround Times

Several factors can affect how quickly drug tests deliver results, including:[6]

• Drug test type: Urine tests are commonly used because they have fast turnaround times. Hair testing has a long detection window but takes longer to get results.
• Drug type: Drug testing turnaround is generally the same regardless of the type of drug, but if you’re testing for drugs that aren’t part of a standard drug panel, you may need extra screenings that add time to the process.
• Shipping: Drug test samples must be sent to a lab, which takes time to ship and process. This time can affect the turnaround times, especially if the lab is farther away. Larger labs often process samples more efficiently, however.
• Positive and negative results: Negative results are generally available faster than positive ones. A positive result may need another or multiple rounds of testing to validate the results and determine how much of the drug is in the sample.

Drug Detection Windows for Different Drug Tests

In addition to the detection windows for different drug tests, different types of drugs may have different detection windows:[7]

• Alcohol is detectable for 10-12 hours in urine and up to 24 hours in saliva.
• Amphetamines are detectable for 2-4 days in urine, 1-48 hours in saliva, and up to 90 days in hair.
• Methamphetamine is detectable for up to 2-5 days in urine, 1-28 hours in saliva, and up to 90 days in hair.
• Benzodiazepines are detectable for up to 7 days in urine and up to 90 days in hair.
• Barbiturates are detectable for up to 7 days in urine and up to 90 days in hair.
• Cocaine is detectable for 1-8 days in urine, 1-36 hours in saliva, and up to 90 days in hair.
• Marijuana is detectable for 1-30 days in urine, up to 24 hours in saliva, and up to 90 days in hair.
• Heroin is detectable for 2-3 days in urine, 1-36 hours in saliva, and up to 90 days in hair.
• PCP is detectable for 5-6 days in urine and up to 90 days in hair.
• Morphine is detectable for 2-5 days in urine, 1-36 hours in saliva, and up to 90 days in hair.

Several factors can affect how long a drug may be detectable, including the drug itself, the individual’s health, how often it is used, how long it has been used, the dosage, and more.

Waiting on Drug Test Results?

Though it can be worrying to wait on the results of a drug test for a job, addiction treatment, legal problems, or other reasons, they deliver relatively fast results with accuracy. It’s best to be patient and await the results.