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Historical textIn force on Nov. 13, 2017Source: eCFR

§ 40.87 What are the cutoff concentrations for drug tests?

Wording effective November 13, 2017, superseded January 1, 2018.

eCFR as of November 13, 2017 ↗
What changedOct. 1, 2012 wording → Nov. 13, 2017 wording+12 added−0 removedHide

Link to an amendment published at 82 FR 52244, Nov. 13, 2017.
(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 metabolites 50 ng/mL THCA
1 15 ng/mL.
Cocaine metabolites 150 ng/mL Benzoylecgonine 100 ng/mL.
Opiate metabolites
Codeine/Morphine
2 2000 ng/mL Codeine 2000 ng/mL.
Morphine 2000 ng/mL.
6-Acetylmorphine 10 ng/mL 6-Acetylmorphine 10 ng/mL.
Phencyclidine 25 ng/mL Phencyclidine 25 ng/mL.
Amphetamines
3
AMP/MAMP
4 500 ng/mL Amphetamine 250 ng/mL.
Methamphetamine
5 250 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 (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]

49 CFR § 40.87 — What are the cutoff concentrations for drug tests?. Text in force on November 13, 2017. This wording effective November 13, 2017 to January 1, 2018. Source: eCFR as of November 13, 2017, https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2017-11-13/title-49/section-40.87. Retrieved from FMCSR.com, https://fmcsr.com/reg/40.87?asof=2017-11-13, on October 26, 2026. Unofficial compilation; verify against the official source.

Link to an amendment published at 82 FR 52244, Nov. 13, 2017.

(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. previousviewing
    [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. previous
    [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.