HHS Refreshes Federal Drug Testing Lab Directory
Published Date: 5/1/2026
Notice
Summary
HHS just dropped the latest list of labs and testing sites approved to do urine and oral fluid drug tests for federal workers. If a lab loses its certification, it’s taken off the list until it’s back in good standing. This update helps keep drug testing fair, reliable, and up-to-date for all federal agencies.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
No Oral-Fluid Labs Certified Now
HHS says there are currently no laboratories certified to perform oral fluid drug and specimen validity tests for federal workplace drug testing as listed in the May 1, 2026 notice. That means federal agencies cannot use HHS-certified oral fluid testing right now.
IITFs Limited to Urine; DOT Restriction
The notice states HHS-certified Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities (IITFs) meet the Mandatory Guidelines for urine testing but HHS does not allow IITFs to conduct oral fluid testing, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) does not allow IITFs to test DOT-regulated specimens. These rules limit where and how certain federal drug tests can be performed.
Certified Urine-Testing Labs Listed
HHS published a list of laboratories currently certified to conduct urine drug and specimen validity testing for Federal programs (for example: Alere Toxicology Services; Clinical Reference Laboratory; LabCorp; Quest/LabOne; MedTox; ElSohly Laboratories; Dynacare). The notice also shows some labs only test for specific federal employers (e.g., Minneapolis VA Forensic Toxicology Laboratory for VA employees only; US Army Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory for DoD employees only).
Omega Laboratories Suspended March 19, 2026
The notice states that Omega Laboratories, Inc. voluntarily suspended its HHS certification effective March 19, 2026, and will be omitted from future HHS-certified lists until certification is restored.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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