§FMCSR.com
Historical textIn force on June 1, 2015Source: annual CFR editions 2012–2016

§ 40.87 What are the cutoff concentrations for drug tests?

Wording in the annual edition revised as of Oct. 1, 2012, superseded November 13, 2017.

govinfo, 2014 edition ↗
Before Jan. 1, 2017 the record is one snapshot per annual CFR edition, revised as of October 1. This is the 2014 edition's wording. An amendment that took effect between Oct. 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015 would not appear until the next edition, so check the citations below and the Federal Register for exact effective dates.
What changedOct. 1, 2001 wording → Oct. 1, 2012 wording+167 added−75 removedHide

(a) As a laboratory, you must use the cutoff concentrations displayed in the following table for initial and confirmationconfirmatory drug tests. All cutoff concentrations are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). The table follows:
TypeInitial oftest drug or metaboliteanalyte
 Initial test cutoff concentration
 ConfirmationConfirmatory test analyte
(1) Confirmatory test cutoff concentration
Marijuana metabolites(i) 50 Delta-9-tetrahydrocanna-binol-9-carboxylic acid (THC)ng/mL THCA
50
1 15
(2) ng/mL.
Cocaine metabolites 150 (ng/mL Benzoylecgonine) 300100 ng/mL.
Opiate metabolites
Codeine/Morphine
2 1502000 ng/mL Codeine 2000 ng/mL.
(3) Morphine 2000 Phencyclidineng/mL.
6-Acetylmorphine 10 (PCP)ng/mL 6-Acetylmorphine 10 ng/mL.
Phencyclidine 25 ng/mL Phencyclidine 25 ng/mL.
(Amphetamines
3
AMP/MAMP
4) 500 Amphetaminesng/mL 1000Amphetamine 250 ng/mL.
(i) Methamphetamine
5 250 Amphetamine ng/mL.
MDMA
6 500 ng/mL MDMA 250 ng/mL.
MDA
7 250 ng/mL.
MDEA
8 250 ng/mL
1 Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (iiTHCA).
2 Methamphetamine 500Morphine (Specimenis mustthe alsotarget containanalyte amphetaminefor atcodeine/morphine testing.
3 Either a concentrationsingle ofinitial greatertest thankit or equalmultiple toinitial 200test ng/mL.)
(5)kits Opiatemay metabolites 2000
(i)be Codeine 2000
(ii)used Morphine 2000
(iii)provided 6-acetylmorphinethe (6-AM) 10single (Testtest forkit 6-AMdetects ineach target analyte independently at the specimenspecified cutoff.
4 ConductMethamphetamine thisis testthe onlytarget whenanalyte for amphetamine/methamphetamine testing.
5 To be reported positive for methamphetamine, a specimen containsmust morphinealso contain amphetamine at a concentration greaterequal thanto or equalgreater tothan 2000100 ng/mL.
6 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
7 Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).
8 Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA).
(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.
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012]

49 CFR § 40.87 — What are the cutoff concentrations for drug tests?. Text in force on June 1, 2015. This wording effective October 1, 2012 to November 13, 2017. Source: govinfo, 2014 edition, https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2014-title49-vol1/CFR-2014-title49-vol1-sec40-87. Retrieved from FMCSR.com, https://fmcsr.com/reg/40.87?asof=2015-06-01, 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 confirmatory drug tests. All cutoff concentrations are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). The table follows:

Initial test analyte Initial test cutoff concentration Confirmatory test analyte Confirmatory test cutoff concentration
Marijuana metabolites50 ng/mLTHCA 115 ng/mL.
Cocaine metabolites150 ng/mLBenzoylecgonine100 ng/mL.
Opiate metabolites
Codeine/Morphine 22000 ng/mLCodeine2000 ng/mL.
Morphine2000 ng/mL.
6-Acetylmorphine10 ng/mL6-Acetylmorphine10 ng/mL.
Phencyclidine25 ng/mLPhencyclidine25 ng/mL.
Amphetamines 3
AMP/MAMP 4500 ng/mLAmphetamine250 ng/mL.
Methamphetamine 5250 ng/mL.
MDMA 6500 ng/mLMDMA250 ng/mL.
MDA 7250 ng/mL.
MDEA 8250 ng/mL

1 Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCA).

2 Morphine is the target analyte for codeine/morphine testing.

3 Either a single initial test kit or multiple initial test kits may be used provided the single test kit detects each target analyte independently at the specified cutoff.

4 Methamphetamine is the target analyte for amphetamine/methamphetamine testing.

5 To be reported positive for methamphetamine, a specimen must also contain amphetamine at a concentration equal to or greater than 100 ng/mL.

6 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

7 Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).

8 Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA).

(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.

[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012]

Amendment history

7 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 2001
  1. 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]
  2. 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]
  3. 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]
  4. 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]
  5. Oct. 1, 2012 → Nov. 13, 2017annual editions 2012–2016diff vs. previousviewing
    [65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012]
  6. 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]
  7. Oct. 1, 2001 → Oct. 1, 2010annual editions 2001–2009

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.