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Do Bank Tellers Get Drug Tested?

If you’re thinking about applying for a job as a bank teller and wondering if banks carry out drug tests, we’ve got some answers for you. Do bank tellers get drug tested? Let’s find out!

Do Bank Tellers Get Drug Tested in 2025?

Do Bank Tellers Get Drug Tested

Are There Pre-Employment Drug Tests For Bank Tellers?

A pre-employment drug test for a bank teller’s position is a possibility depending on the bank.

Drug tests are carried out once a conditional offer of employment has been made and accepted, and you should see a notice about a pre-employment drug test on the application if one is required.

There are so many different banks and credit unions in the United States that it’s impossible to give details about all of them, but we’ve gathered some information about pre-employment drug tests at the biggest banks from various sources to give you an idea about drug testing in the banking industry.

And if you use drugs, you’ll obviously want to focus on the banks in our list that don’t drug test their tellers.

Business Insider surveyed some of the biggest banks in the United States to find out if they were reevaluating their drug testing policies in light of marijuana legalization in many states, and their business dealings with the marijuana industry. Three of the banks they interviewed offer consumer banking facilities – here are their responses.

Bank Of America reported that they do not carry out any pre-employment drug testing.

Wells Fargo doesn’t carry out any pre-employment drug testing, but the spokesperson mentioned that the bank’s zero-tolerance drug use policy continues to include marijuana even in states where the drug is legal.

Citi does carry out pre-employment drug testing.

For other banks, careers websites and employee reports give some insight into their pre-employment drug testing policies.

Chase Bank – Employees report that Chase bank (JP Morgan Chase) carries out pre-employment drug testing for all positions.

Truist Bank – There doesn’t appear to be pre-employment drug testing at Truist Bank for bank tellers or any other employee.

Capital One Bank – There’s no pre-employment drug test at Capital One for bank tellers or other employees.

U.S. Bank – Employees report that this bank doesn’t do pre-employment drug tests for tellers or other employees..

PNC Bank – PNC asks all prospective employees to take a drug test.

Citizens Bank – The Citizens Bank careers website states that all applicants have to pass a drug test and the drug test includes a screen for marijuana.

Synchrony Bank – The bank’s careers website states that all candidates must be willing to take a drug test as part of the selection process.

Are Bank Tellers Given Random Drug Tests?

Are Bank Tellers Given Random Drug Tests?

It’s possible to face random drug tests as a bank teller, but it’s unlikely.

Banks have different policies and some may specify that random drug testing can take place. In practice though, bank employees report that random drug tests are rare or unheard of.

When you’re hired and given your employee handbook, read through the section that details the drug testing policy. If random drug testing isn’t listed in the policy, then you can’t be given a random drug test.

And if you’ve applied for a teller position in a bank that doesn’t carry out pre-employment drug testing, a random drug test won’t take place.

See Also: Do Nurses Get Drug Tested?

When Do Bank Tellers Need To Take Drug Tests?

For any drug test to take place, the bank has to issue a clear drug testing policy to all employees. Your employee handbook will detail the circumstances when a drug test can take place.

One situation where a bank teller could face a drug test is if their appearance or behavior indicated that they were under the influence of drugs.

If a colleague or manager noticed unusual behavior, then a supervisor or manager with appropriate training in recognizing signs of substance abuse could order a drug test. And because a bank teller has a customer-facing role, customers can also make a complaint if they have suspicions about the teller serving them.

The other situation when you could face a drug test is after an accident or incident. Accidents aren’t very likely in a retail banking environment, but if an accident happened and drug use was suspected you could be asked to take a test.

An incident could include things like being abusive to a coworker or customer or having a large sum of money go missing from your drawer. If your behavior seemed suspicious, then you could be ordered to take a post-incident drug test.

What Type Of Drug Test Do Banks Use?

What Type Of Drug Test Do Banks Use?

Banks usually use saliva or urine sample drug testing. In most cases, you’ll be asked to visit a local clinic or collection site to give a sample which will then be analyzed at a lab.

For saliva or oral fluid drug test, the sample will be taken with a cotton swab or a sponge swab. You can’t eat or drink anything in the 10 minutes before you give your sample, but the saliva collection itself only takes a few minutes.

For a urine test, you’ll be given a sample cup and directed to a private bathroom. The collection supervisor will tell you how much urine you need to collect and the sample cup will be marked at that level. Urine collection is unobserved, and drug test results shouldn’t take more than one week.

Interesting Article: Do Restaurants Drug Test?

What Drugs Are Bank Tellers Tested For?

When a bank carries out a drug test, they’ll test for illegal drugs and they may test for commonly abused prescription drugs as well.

If you’re taking prescription medication, as long as you’ve got a valid prescription from your doctor, you’ll be fine.

A 5-panel drug test is the most common type of drug test used for employment drug screens. On a 5-panel test you’ll be screened for:

  • Opiates
  • Cocaine
  • Marijuana
  • Amphetamines and methamphetamine
  • Phencyclidine (PCP)

Employers in states where marijuana has been legalized may decide not to test for that substance, but because the drug is still illegal at the federal level, marijuana is usually included on the test.

If the bank uses a more extensive 10-panel drug screen, the test will also look for the following substances:

  • Benzodiazepines
  • Barbiturates
  • Methadone
  • Methaqualone
  • Propoxyphene

Some employers also opt to test for ecstasy and oxycodone.

Read Also: Does Bank Of America Background Check

How Long Can Drugs Be Picked Up On A Test?

How Long Can Drugs Be Picked Up On A Test?

The drug detection window for a saliva test isn’t very long at all.

Opiates, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, phencyclidine, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and oxycodone can be detected for up to 48 hours after the last use.

Methaqualone, propoxyphene, and ecstasy have a 72-hour detection window on a saliva test.

The drug detection window for a urine test is a little longer and in the case of marijuana, the detection window is much longer.

Methadone and propoxyphene have a 3-day detection window in urine.

Opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, methaqualone, and oxycodone have a 4-day detection window.

Benzodiazepines and barbiturates can be picked up in urine for up to 7 days.

Phencyclidine can be detected for up to 14 days.

The detection period for marijuana depends on the level of use because the drug’s metabolites are stored in body fat.

One-time use can be detected for 5 – 8 days. If you use marijuana 2 to 4 times a week, it will take 23 – 35 days before you’re drug-free, and daily use (depending on light or heavy use) has a detection window of 49 – 90 days.

Quick Recap

Whether you’ll need to take a drug test to get a job as a bank teller depends on the bank you’re applying to.

Some of the biggest banks in the country like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Truist Bank don’t carry out drug tests during the hiring process, while other big-name banks like Chase Bank, Citi, and Citizens Bank require applicants to pass a test.

Once you’re hired as a bank teller, further drug tests are unlikely unless you appear to be under the influence of drugs.

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