Why Trust Recovery Guide How long a drug stays in your system can depend on many factors. Different drugs will have different detection times, and the type of drug test used can affect how quickly a drug may be detected. Some drugs can be detected in the body quickly, within just a few minutes for a saliva test, for example. Others may not show up in certain tests for hours or even days.
Drug and alcohol testing can be used for a variety of reasons, such as workplace requirements, parole conditions, divorce or custody hearings, court-ordered testing, or other healthcare settings. Regardless of the reason, drug testing can quickly identify substance(s) of abuse in a person’s body. It can be helpful to know the detection times for drugs of abuse and the factors that affect drug detection times if you or a loved one are in need of testing.
Factors That Affect How Long Drugs Stay In Your System
Several things determine how long drugs remain detectable in your body. The type of drug matters most. Some leave your system in hours while others can be found weeks later. How much you used, how often you used it, and your body’s tolerance also play big roles. A drug’s half-life (how long it takes your body to break down half the dose) directly affects detection time.
Your body type and health significantly impact drug detection too. Factors like your weight, height, age, gender, and body fat percentage all matter. People with faster metabolisms clear drugs quicker than those with slower ones. Medical conditions like liver disease can slow down how your body processes drugs. Being well-hydrated and physically active can also help your body eliminate substances faster, potentially shortening detection windows.
How Drug Tests Work
Drug testing happens in two main steps: the initial test and the confirmation test. The first test is called an immunoassay, which checks your sample (like urine or saliva) for signs of drugs. If this initial test comes back negative, you’re done – the results get reported and no more testing happens. But if the first test shows positive or unclear results, a second test gets done using a different part of your same sample. This confirmation test uses a more precise method called GC-MS analysis to double-check the results.
Labs should always run this confirmation test before reporting that someone failed a drug test. This two-step process helps make sure the results are accurate and reduces mistakes.
Different Types Of Laboratory Drug Tests
While urine drug tests are by far the most common, a number of lab tests exist to test for the presence of drugs or alcohol.
The time it takes to get the result of your substance abuse test can depend on:
- the lab, hospital, or clinic where you got tested, and how fast they process drug screens
- your results: negative results could be returned in a day, positive results may take a week or more
- how many substances the drug test screened for
- the type of test you took
Most people can expect their drug test results within 1-3 business days for negative results. However, positive results take longer because they need that extra confirmation test we mentioned earlier. If you’re waiting for results, remember that no news isn’t necessarily bad news . Labs just want to be thorough and accurate before giving you the final answer.
Urine Drug Tests
Urine drug tests are the most common and the preferred drug test method used by employers, drug addiction treatment programs, and other companies. A urinalysis may show the presence of drugs up to seven days after use, but the detection time can depend on the type of drug and other factors.
Urinalysis detection tests may screen for:
- alcohol
- barbiturates
- benzodiazepines
- cocaine
- heroin
- MDMA, MDA analogues
- marijuana
- methamphetamine
- prescription opioids: codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone
A typical urine sample test may screen for up to five to ten drugs.
Saliva Drug Tests
Saliva testing is the second-most common drug testing method. Also called oral fluid detection testing, this drug screen may detect drug use from within a few hours of last use up to two days after.
They can also test for the presence of multiple drugs at once, including:
- alcohol
- amphetamines
- barbiturates
- benzodiazepines
- cocaine
- ecstasy
- marjiuana
- methamphetamine
- opiates
- phencyclidine (PCP)
Mouth swab tests are easy to collect and less likely to be tampered with.
Blood Drug Tests
Blood drug tests aren’t used very often because they’re more invasive and need a trained person to draw your blood. They also have a short detection window, usually only catching drugs used within the last day or so.
But blood tests do have some benefits. It’s almost impossible to cheat or tamper with a blood test, and they can detect the same drugs as urine and saliva tests. You’ll mainly see blood tests in emergency rooms, like after a car accident. Doctors like them in these situations because one blood draw can test for drugs and run other important medical tests at the same time, helping them treat people faster.
Hair Follicle Drug Tests
Hair drug tests serve well for detecting drug use over a longer period of time, up to 90 days. Hair tests screen for similar drugs of abuse tested in other drug analysis tests. The person being tested will submit a sample of hair equal to 100-120 strands in front of lab personnel, which lessens the chances of tampering. The effort required to obtain and test these samples makes hair-based drug testing one of the least common methods.
Rapid Drug Tests
Some drugs metabolize quickly, meaning the body breaks them down in a matter of hours, and they won’t be detected as easily through common drug testing methods. Rapid drug tests often utilize urine or saliva samples to ensure testing doesn’t miss the detection window.
5-Panel Drug Screen Detection Times
Standardized drug testing used by employers may test for the same types of drugs each time.
The 5-panel drug test may detect the presence of several illicit, street drugs, such as:
- amphetamines
- cocaine
- marijuana
- methamphetamine
- MDMA
- PCP
- opioids
The 5-panel test is the most common drug screen because it covers the drugs employers are most concerned about. These substances make up the majority of workplace drug violations, so testing for them gives employers a good overview of potential substance use issues. If you’re facing a standard pre-employment or workplace drug test, it will likely be one of these 5-panel screens.
10-Panel Drug Screen Detection Times
For a wider range of substance detection, employers may elect a 10-panel drug screen, which tests for the same drugs as the 5-panel drug tests as well as several others.
The additional drugs included on the 10-panel test are:
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Methadone
- Methaqualone (Quaaludes)
- Propoxyphene (Darvocet)
The 10-panel test is typically used by employers who want more thorough screening or work in safety-sensitive industries like transportation or healthcare. While it costs more than a 5-panel test, it catches prescription drug misuse that the basic test might miss.
Detection Times By Drug Type
The detection time for specific drugs will vary based on the individual and their history of drug use, but classes of drugs will generally have similar ranges for detection.
Depressant Drug Detection Times
Depressant drugs affect the central nervous system (CNS), leading to slowed reaction times, feelings of sleepiness, relaxation, and reduced inhibitions. This drug class includes alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and opioids.
Alcohol Detection Times
Alcohol is not always a substance included in drug analysis. However, certain tests may screen for alcohol, like ER toxicology screens and breathalyzer tests used by law enforcement.
How long alcohol shows up in a person’s body can be affected by how much they drank, how much time has elapsed since they drank, and if they abused any other substances with alcohol.
- breathalyzer: up to 24 hours
- alcohol urine testing: three to five days via EtG metabolite; 2 to 12 hours traditional urine testing
- saliva testing: 24 to 48 hours
- alcohol hair testing: up to 90 days
- alcohol blood testing: up to 12 hours
Benzodiazepine Drug Detection Times
Benzodiazepines are sedative prescription drugs often used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and related conditions.
Benzos may have a short half-life or a long half-life, depending on the drug, which can greatly affect how long these drugs can be detected in the body.
Benzodiazepine detection times:
- benzodiazepine urine testing: four days to six weeks
- benzodiazepine saliva tests: 12 hours to ten days
- hair testing for benzodiazepines: up to 90 days
- blood tests for benzodiazepines: six hours to three days
Ativan Detection Times:
- urine testing: up to five days
- saliva testing: up to 12 hours
- hair testing: up to 30 days
- blood testing: up to three days
Klonopin (Clonazepam) Detection Times:
- Klonopin urine testing: 21 to 30 days
- saliva testing: up to six days
- Klonopin hair testing: up to 90 days
- Klonopin blood testing: three or more days
Librium Detection Times:
- urine testing: one to six weeks
- saliva testing: one to ten days
- hair testing: up to 90 days
- blood testing: six to 48 hours
Restoril Detection Times:
- urine testing: up to one week
- saliva testing: up to 24 hours
- hair testing: up to 90 days
- blood testing: up to 24 hours
Valium Detection Times:
- urine testing: up to six weeks
- saliva testing: up to ten days
- hair testing: up to 90 days
- blood testing: up to 48 hours
- Xanax urine testing: four days
- saliva testing: up to two and a half days
- Xanax hair testing: up to 90 days
- Xanax blood testing: up to 24 hours
Opioid Drug Detection Times
Opioids, also called opiates when they are derived from natural products, include both illicit street drugs, such as heroin, and prescription narcotics, such as OxyContin.
The type of opioid will affect how a test screens for it because different opioids break down into different metabolites within the body and may affect detection times as well.
- codeine urine testing: up to three days
- saliva testing: up to four days
- codeine hair testing: up to 90 days
- codeine blood testing: up to 24 hours
Demerol Detection:
- Demerol urine tests: up to three days
- Demerol saliva tests: up to 48 hours
- Demerol hair tests: up to 90 days
- Demerol blood tests: up to 24 hours
Dilaudid (Hydromorphone) Drug Detection:
- Dilaudid urine tests: up to four days
- Dilaudid saliva tests: up to 48 hours
- Dilaudid hair tests: up to three months
- Dilaudid blood tests: up to 24 hours
Fentanyl Detection:
- fentanyl urine testing: one to three days
- fentanyl saliva testing: one to four days
- fentanyl hair testing: up to 90 days
- fentanyl blood testing: five to 48 hours
- Gabapentin urine testing: two to three days
- Gabapentin saliva testing: not detectable
- Gabapentin hair testing: up to 90 days
- Gabapentin blood testing: five to 48 hours
- heroin urine testing: up to three days
- heroin saliva testing: up to 24 hours
- heroin hair testing: up to 90 days
- heroin blood testing: up to six hours
Hydrocodone (Vicodin) Testing:
- hydrocodone urine testing: two to four days
- hydrocodone saliva testing: 12 to 36 hours
- hydrocodone hair testing: 90 days
- hydrocodone blood testing: up to 24 hours
Methadone Testing:
- methadone urine testing: one hour up to two weeks
- methadone saliva testing: 30 minutes up to two days
- methadone hair testing: after a few days up to 90 days
- methadone blood testing: 30 minutes up to three days
Morphine (Duramorph) Drug Detection:
- morphine urine testing: up to three days
- morphine saliva testing: up to four days
- morphine hair testing: up to 90 days
- morphine blood testing: up to 12 hours
Oxycodone (OxyContin) Drug Detection:
- oxycodone urine testing: one to four days
- oxycodone saliva testing: up to 48 hours
- oxycodone hair testing: up to 90 days
- oxycodone blood testing: up to 24 hours
Propoxyphene (Darvocet) Drug Detection:
- propoxyphene urine testing: up to 10 days
- propoxyphene hair testing: up to 90 days
Tramadol (Ultram) Detection:
- tramadol urine testing: up to 72 hours
- tramadol saliva testing: up to 48 hours
- tramadol hair testing: up to 90 days
- tramadol blood testing: up to 48 hours
Learn more about common opioid drug detection times
Barbiturate Drug Detection Times
Barbiturates are anti-anxiety and sedative prescription drugs, which have largely been replaced by benzodiazepines.
These drugs are still in use and may be abused for the sedative effects, so many drug tests still screen for the presence of barbiturates.
The detection times for barbiturates can be:
- urine testing: up to six weeks
- saliva testing: up to three days
- hair testing: up to 90 days
- blood testing: up to 72 hours
Stimulant Drug Detection Times
Stimulant drugs work to excite the central nervous system (CNS), leading to feelings of euphoria, increased heart rate, and lowered inhibitions. Stimulants include illicit drugs (cocaine) and prescription drugs like amphetamines.
Cocaine is an addictive, illegal drug that is abused in three forms: crack cocaine, freebase cocaine, and powder cocaine. It’s difficult to estimate an exact timeframe that cocaine may be detectable in a person’s body due to the many factors that affect detection, such as purity, physical characteristics, and drug use history.
Drug tests may be able to screen for cocaine within:
- cocaine urine testing: one to three days
- cocaine saliva testing: one to two days
- cocaine hair testing: up to 90 days
- cocaine blood testing: up to 24 hours
Crack Cocaine Detection Times:
Crack cocaine can remain detectable in the body for anywhere from a few minutes to three months after use, depending on the type of drug screening used to detect illicit substance use.
Average crack cocaine detection times, by drug testing method:
- crack cocaine urine tests: one to seven days
- crack cocaine blood tests: up to 24 hours
- crack cocaine saliva tests: up to two days
- crack cocaine hair tests: up to 90 days
Ecstasy (Molly, MDMA) Detection Times:
Ecstasy, an illicit party drug, may be detected in a person’s body fluids for several days after taking the drug.
The detection window begins after a person’s last dose and can last:
- molly urine testing: one to three days
- molly saliva testing: one to two days
- molly hair testing: up to 90 days
- molly blood testing: one to two days
Methamphetamine (Meth) Detection Times:
Methamphetamine (meth) is both an illicit street drug and a prescription medication under the name Desoxyn. Detection times for meth depend on how much a person took, the method they used, and their physical characteristics.
Meth may be detected in drug screens by:
- meth urine testing: one to four days for single use; up to one week for heavy use
- meth saliva testing: one to four days
- meth hair testing: up to 90 days
- meth blood testing: one to three days
Amphetamine Drug Detection Times
Amphetamine prescriptions are used to treat mental health disorders like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Common amphetamines of abuse that may be tested for in a drug screen include:
- Adderall
- Ritalin
- Vyvanse
- Adderall urine testing: three to four days
- Adderall saliva testing: 20 to 50 hours
- Adderall hair testing: up to 90 days
- Adderall blood testing: up to 46 hours
Ritalin Drug Detection:
- Ritalin urine testing: up to two days
- Ritalin saliva testing: up to two days
- Ritalin hair testing: up to 90 days
- Ritalin blood testing: up to 12 hours
Vyvanse Detection:
- Vyvanse urine testing: up to three days (more in some cases)
- Vyvanse saliva testing: up to 48 hours
- Vyvanse hair testing: up to 90 days
- Vyvanse blood testing: up to eight hours
Marijuana (THC) Drug Detection Times
While legal in many states, employers may still test for the presence of marijuana. Though not considered a dangerous drug of abuse, the drug still affects a person by producing feelings of euphoria, extreme relaxation, and may cause paranoia.
Depending on the test, detection times for marijuana can be:
- marijuana urine testing: up to three days for single use; up to five days for moderate use; 10 days with daily, repetitive use; 30 days with chronic daily use
- marijuana saliva testing: up to 24 hours
- marijuana hair testing: up to 90 days
- marijuana blood testing: up to 25 days
Synthetic Marijuana Drug Detection Times (Cannabinoids)
Synthetic marijuana (K2, spice) can be more unpredictable and dangerous than marijuana.
Drug test results largely depend on how much of the drug is used and how often it is abused:
- synthetic marijuana urine testing: up to 72 hours
- synthetic marijuana saliva testing: up to 48 hours
- synthetic marijuana hair testing: up to 90 days
- synthetic marijuana blood testing: up to 48 hours
Hallucinogen Drug Detection Times
Because so many drugs of abuse are now readily available, hallucinogens are often not perceived as a large threat, though the drugs can lead to dangerous side effects. Side effects can include hallucinations, psychosis, and more. Hallucinogens are classified as either dissociative drugs, such as PCP, or classic hallucinogens, such as LSD.
Acid (LSD) Detection:
- acid urine testing: up to four days, if the test is designed to test for LSD at all
- acid hair testing: up to 90 days
- acid blood testing: eight to 16 hours
Ketamine Detection:
- Ketamine urine testing: up to three days, but traces may be found up to 14 days
- Ketamine saliva testing: up to 24 hours
- Ketamine hair testing: up to 90 days
- Ketamine blood testing: up to 24 hours
Mescaline Detection:
- Mescaline urine testing: two to three days
- Mescaline saliva testing: one to ten days
- Mescaline hair testing: up to 90 days
- Mescaline blood testing: up to 24 hours
PCP Detection Times:
- PCP urine testing: one to two weeks
- PCP saliva testing: 24 to 48 hours
- PCP hair testing: up to 90 days
- PCP blood testing: up to 24 hours
Psilocybin (Mushrooms) Detection:
- Psilocybin urine testing: up to 24 hours
- Psilocybin hair testing: up to 90 days
- Psilocybin blood testing: less than 24 hours
Companies That Offer Drug Testing
Certain pharmaceutical companies offer trusted, accurate testing used by employers, drug rehab centers, and other testing sites.
These include:
- Laboratory Corp of America Holdings (LabCorp)
- National Toxicology Labs, Inc.
- Phamatech, Inc.
- Quest Diagnostics, Inc.
What To Expect During A Workplace Drug Test
If you’re getting tested for a new job, your employer should give you reasonable notice about the drug test. Most companies require you to take the test within 24 hours of being told about it. This quick timeline helps ensure the test accurately reflects your recent drug use.
At the testing facility, you’ll provide a sample, usually urine or saliva, though sometimes hair or blood. Sweat tests exist but are rarely used. The lab follows strict procedures to prevent mistakes or cheating. If someone has tried to tamper with a sample before, they might require you to give your sample while being watched by lab staff. This sounds uncomfortable, but it’s done to make sure the results are reliable and fair for everyone.
Drug Detection Testing FAQs
If you’re being tested for drugs or alcohol for a job or rehab program, it may help to know answers to some of the most common drug detection test questions.
Can A Drug Test Have A False Positive Or False Negative Result?
In general, drug tests are highly accurate and the chances of producing a false positive test result are low. This is especially true if a confirmatory test is performed for a non-negative test result.
However, if you get back a positive drug test result you believe was in error, be sure to go over any prescription or over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, or other things you are ingesting which could affect the result.
Can Poppy Seeds Affect Drug Test Results?
Poppy seeds come from the poppy plant, an original source of opium, which is why ingesting poppy seeds prior to a drug screen can lead to a positive drug test result.
Other substances that can affect your test results include common cold medicines (decongestants), such as dextromethorphan (Delsym, Robitussin) and ephedrine (Akovaz).
What Causes A False Positive Cocaine Drug Test?
Some people being tested for cocaine may mistakenly believe they can have a positive result due to recent Novocaine use, or drugs with names similar to cocaine.
However, the presence of cocaine is typically detected through one main metabolite—benzoylecgonine. This metabolite can’t be found in nature, so its presence points directly to cocaine use.
Can CBD Use Cause A False Positive Marijuana Test?
When grown to federal regulation standards, Cannabidiol (CBD) should contain less than .3 percent of THC—the main chemical ingredient in marijuana responsible for producing the “high.”
Yet not all CBD is tested and pure in form, which means it could lead to a false positive for a marijuana drug test. If the CBD you ingested was contaminated with THC, this could lead to a positive test result.
Can I Be Tested For Marijuana At Work If It’s Legal In My State?
Though marijuana has been legalized in most states, employers can still test for marijuana use. Even if you weren’t using marijuana during work hours, a positive drug test result could be grounds for termination. Recreational marijuana use laws do not protect employees from zero-tolerance workplace policies.
Can A Drug Test Detect Secondhand Smoke?
Secondhand smoke doesn’t usually affect a drug analysis as detection levels are set high above the low amounts which could be present due to passive smoke inhalation (secondhand smoke). If you get a positive test result for any reason, some labs allow for a private secondary drug screen at your cost.
Can I Refuse A Roadside Drug Test?
It’s illegal to refuse a roadside drug test due to a concept known as “implied consent.” This principle holds that as soon as you step into a car and begin to drive, you are under implied consent that you are physically and mentally able to operate the vehicle. This includes not driving while intoxicated.
Refusing a roadside alcohol test could lead to an immediate DUI charge, even if you were not intoxicated, and all the consequences that come with this charge.
Can A Drug Test Come Back Inconclusive?
Drug test results can be inconclusive if the sample has been tampered with (adulterated). This could include drinking a lot of water right before testing or adding water to the sample.
Is It Legal To Fire Someone For An Inconclusive Drug Test?
It may not be legal for an employer to fire you for an inconclusive drug test, since the test result may not have been your fault and there’s no way to prove otherwise. Typically, you may have to undergo another test to yield a positive or negative result.
Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.
These include peer-reviewed journals, government entities and academic institutions, and leaders in addiction healthcare and advocacy. Learn more about how we safeguard our content by viewing our editorial policy.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information—Detection time of drug of abuse in urine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11484423/ - National Center for Biotechnology Information—Half Life
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554498/ - National Center for Biotechnology Information—Quantitative urine confirmatory testing for synthetic cannabinoids in randomly collected urine specimens
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4363290/ - University of Rochester Medical Center—Benzodiazepines (Urine)
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=167&contentid=benzodiazepine_urine - U.S. National Library of Medicine—Blood Alcohol Level
https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/blood-alcohol-level/
