If you are looking for a new job, there is a high chance that you will need to pass a drug test following your interview. But do you know what kind of test you going to face? Do you know what procedure is going to be like?

Each of the fifty states has their own laws that dictate specific requirements for alcohol and drug abuse in a workplace. It varies from state to state, and sometimes restrictions are very distinct. For instance, some states restrict random testing, others – encourage it; some let companies decide how to handle a positive drug test, some – prohibit on-site drug testing at all. Laws change every year, and to follow each little aspect could be very hard.

Besides state laws, there are also Federal Drug Testing Laws, and one of those is a Department of Transportation mandatory rules regarding the prevention of substance abuse in a workplace. Over 20 years old, this regulation is very austere. If you are involved in transportations industry, railroad or any other transit company, aviation, or if you are operating a commercial motor vehicle that enters US from Canada or Mexico, you need to undergo a procedure of DOT drug testing. The rules are very strict and specifies every little detail: what is the exact volume of a sample, how to use split samples, and which ones use for testing and which for confirmation, the exact time to check the temperature of a sample, and when to conduct the tests: before hiring, randomly, following an occurred accident, when there is a suspicion about certain employee, etc.

If you are interested in all of the specifics regarding drug testing laws, you can inquire within your local library a “Guide to State and Federal Drug-Testing Laws” – the book is a bit pricy, but any major library can acquire it for you.