Learn What to Expect on the TSA Drug Test for Employment [Complete Guide]

Generally, the Transportation Security Administration uses five-panel urine (pee) drug tests for all applicants applying for a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) job.

In some cases, they may also use a breath alcohol test and hair follicle drug tests for existing TSA workers.

The drugs that can be detected on the five-panel test are:

• Marijuana (THC metabolite)
• Cocaine (Benzoylecgonine metabolite)
• Opiates (Morphine, Codeine, and 6-Monacteyl Morphine metabolites)
• Amphetamines (Dextroamphetamine and Levamphetamine)
• Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust)

💡 Check our Free TSA CBT test for practice questions.

The purpose of the TSA drug test is to determine whether an applicant or employee has used any psychoactive drug within the last months.

The drug test takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

TSA officers are randomly drug tested. According to the Transportation Security Administration, about 10% of all employees will be selected at random for their drug tests each year.

Between 2010 and 2016, more than 850 TSA agents failed their drug and alcohol tests, 51 of them were in Los Angeles' International Airport. According to a TSA spokesman, TSA workers who have tested positive for their drug or alcohol test are fired.

The TSA drug tests are highly accurate, but they're not 100% accurate. Several things can affect the accuracy of these tests, including:

• The amount of urine you gave
• The way your urine sample was stored
• What you ate or drank before taking the test
• Prescription or over-the-counter drugs you may have taken before the test

The amount of time that psychoactive drugs can be detected in urine varies based on the drug:

If you fail the drug test, you'll be referred to a doctor who's a medical review officer (MRO). The MRO will then determine whether or not there's another condition that may have caused your results, and may ask for a second test.

If there isn't such a condition, your application will be terminated.

TSA applicants who refuse to take a drug test cannot be granted a security clearance and their hiring process will be terminated. Applicants who already have a job with TSA and refuse to take a drug test will be fired from their position.

Yes, several factors could lead to failing the drug test even though you haven't used drugs. These factors include:

• Taking prescription drugs with a metabolite that's detectable on the TSA drug test.
• High exposure to secondhand smoke from cannabis smokers.
• Being subject to environmental pollutants such as paint fumes, pesticides, and solvents.
• Ingesting foods contaminated with THC, amphetamines, or other metabolites.

Even though the THC levels in your urine rarely last for more than a few hours after being exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke, it's better to stay on the safe side and wait for several days before you take the drug test.

The most certain way to pass a TSA drug test is not taking drugs in the first place. This is because there's no way to pass the drug test if you've already ingested drugs.

• Do your research well. Knowing what drugs show up in the urine drug test will help you devise an effective strategy for passing it. Take note that there are no herbal teas or pills that can help you pass a drug test.
• Do not use fake urine. Using fake urine to pass the drug test will only get you caught. Always provide your own sample.
• If you're taking prescription medication, discuss with your doctor whether or not it will cause a positive result.

It should take several business days for the lab to review your sample and you'll receive the results after a few weeks max.