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DOT Rule 49 CFR Part 40 Section 40.87
Subpart F - Drug Testing Laboratories
§ 40.87 What are the cutoff concentrations for drug tests?
(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).
| Initial test analyte | Initial test cutoff concentration | Confirmatory test analyte | Confirmatory test cutoff concentration |
| Marijuana metabolites | 50 ng/mL | THCA1 | 15 ng/mL |
| Cocaine metabolites | 150 ng/mL | Benzoylecgonine | 100 ng/mL |
| Opiate metabolites | |||
| Codeine/Morphine2 | 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 |
| Amphetamines3 | |||
| AMP/MAMP4 | 500 ng/mL | Amphetamine | 250 ng/mL |
| Methamphetamine5 | 250 ng/mL | ||
| MDMA6 | |||
| 500 ng/mL | MDMA | 250 ng/mL | |
| MDA7 | 250 ng/mL | ||
| MDEA8 | 250 ng/mL |
1Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCA).
2Morphine is the target analyte for codeine/morphine testing.
3Either 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.
4Methamphetamine is the target analyte for amphetamine/methamphetamine testing.
5To be reported positive for methamphetamine, a specimen must also contain amphetamine at a concentration equal to or greater than 100 ng/mL.
6Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
7Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).
8Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA).
2Morphine is the target analyte for codeine/morphine testing.
3Either 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.
4Methamphetamine is the target analyte for amphetamine/methamphetamine testing.
5To be reported positive for methamphetamine, a specimen must also contain amphetamine at a concentration equal to or greater than 100 ng/mL.
6Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
7Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).
8Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (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, August 16, 2010; 77 FR 26473, May 4, 2012]
Updated: Wednesday, January 16, 2013