Historical textIn force on Oct. 1, 2008Source: annual CFR editions 2001–2009

§ 40.87 What are the cutoff concentrations for initial and confirmation tests?

Wording first on file in the 2001 annual edition, superseded by the 2010 annual edition.

govinfo, 2008 edition ↗

Compare with

Before Jan. 1, 2017 the record is one snapshot per annual CFR edition, revised as of October 1. This is the 2008 edition's wording. An amendment that took effect between Oct. 1, 2008 and Oct. 1, 2008 would not appear until the next edition, so check the citations below and the Federal Register for exact effective dates.

49 CFR § 40.87 — What are the cutoff concentrations for initial and confirmation tests?. Text in force on October 1, 2008. This wording effective October 1, 2001 to October 1, 2010. Source: govinfo, 2008 edition, https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2008-title49-vol1/CFR-2008-title49-vol1-sec40-87. Retrieved from FMCSR.com, https://fmcsr.com/reg/40.87?asof=2008-10-01, on October 26, 2026. Unofficial compilation; verify against the official source.

(a) As a laboratory, you must use the cutoff concentrations displayed in the following table for initial and confirmation drug tests. All cutoff concentrations are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). The table follows:

Type of drug or metabolite	Initial test	Confirmation test
(1) Marijuana metabolites(i) Delta-9-tetrahydrocanna-binol-9-carboxylic acid (THC)	50	15
(2) Cocaine metabolites (Benzoylecgonine)	300	150
(3) Phencyclidine (PCP)	25	25
(4) Amphetamines	1000
(i) Amphetamine		500
(ii) Methamphetamine		500 (Specimen must also contain amphetamine at a concentration of greater than or equal to 200 ng/mL.)
(5) Opiate metabolites	2000
(i) Codeine		2000
(ii) Morphine		2000
(iii) 6-acetylmorphine (6-AM)		10 (Test for 6-AM in the specimen. Conduct this test only when specimen contains morphine at a concentration greater than or equal to 2000 ng/mL.)

(b) On an initial drug test, you must report a result below the cutoff concentration as negative. If the result is at or above the cutoff concentration, you must conduct a confirmation test.

(c) On a confirmation drug test, you must report a result below the cutoff concentration as negative and a result at or above the cutoff concentration as confirmed positive.

(d) You must report quantitative values for morphine or codeine at 15,000 ng/mL or above.

Amendment history

7 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 2001

June 1, 2023 → presenteCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 64867, Nov. 9, 2004. Redesignated and amended at 88 FR 27643, May 2, 2023]
May 2, 2023 → June 1, 2023eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012; 82 FR 52244, Nov. 13, 2017]
Jan. 1, 2018 → May 2, 2023eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012; 82 FR 52244, Nov. 13, 2017]
Nov. 13, 2017 → Jan. 1, 2018eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012]
Oct. 1, 2012 → Nov. 13, 2017annual editions 2012–2016diff vs. previous
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012]
Oct. 1, 2010 → Oct. 1, 2012annual editions 2010–2011diff vs. previous
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010]
Oct. 1, 2001 → Oct. 1, 2010annual editions 2001–2009viewing

A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section.