Support Center

To become a qualified DOT urine collector, you must know Part 40, the current DOT Urine Specimen Collection Guidelines, and the DOT agency rules that apply to the employers you serve, and you must:

• Complete a qualification training program.
• Pass a monitored proficiency demonstration of five error-free mock collections.

See 49 CFR 40.33. There is no "grandfather" clause or waiver. Your qualification follows you to any collection site; it is not tied to a location.

Do I need to be "certified"?

No. DOT does not certify collectors or collection sites, and there is no federal registry. Only individual collectors, not sites, become qualified. You must keep documentation of your training and proficiency demonstration for inspection.

What must the training cover?

DOT has not published a set curriculum, but training must cover:

• All steps of a proper collection.
• Completing the Custody and Control Form (CCF).
• Problem collections, such as shy bladder and tampering.
• Fatal and correctable flaws.
• Your responsibility for the integrity, privacy, and security of the process.

Training may be delivered in person or by video, computer, or other equivalent means. There is no minimum time requirement. An exam is not required but is recommended.

What is the proficiency demonstration?

After training, you complete five consecutive error-free mock collections, monitored in real time in person or by live video:

• 2 uneventful collections
• 1 insufficient quantity of urine
• 1 temperature out of range
• 1 in which the employee refuses to sign the CCF and initial the specimen bottle seal

The monitor must be a qualified collector who has regularly conducted DOT collections for at least one year, has conducted collector training for at least one year, or has completed a "train the trainer" course, and must attest in writing that the mock collections were error-free.

Refresher training

You must complete refresher training, including a new proficiency demonstration, at least every five years. You are also expected to keep up with rule changes between refreshers. If you make a mistake that causes a test to be canceled, you must complete error correction training.

Does DOT offer training?

No. DOT does not offer training, keep lists of trainers, or endorse training programs. For more information, visit the DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC).