Drug Testing in North Carolina

Drug testing by employers in North Carolina is governed by these state rules.

An employer in North Carolina that requests or requires an employee to submit to a controlled substance examination must comply with the procedural requirements of the law in:

• collecting samples to be tested
• selecting the laboratory to be used to test the samples
• preserving samples
• maintaining a chain of custody with regard to each sample

However, no employer is, by virtue of this law, required to conduct controlled substance testing.

The employer of any employee who tests positive in a drug or alcohol test required under federal regulations shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles in writing within five business days following the employer's receipt of confirmation of a positive test.