Does Amazon Drug Test at Orientation in 2024?

If you’re a recreational or medicinal drug user thinking about applying for a job with Amazon, then you’re probably wondering; Does Amazon drug test new hires?

The answer to that question is yes, they do. And the drug testing doesn’t end once you’re hired.

Amazon has a strict no-drugs policy, and the only way they can enforce that policy is by drug-testing employees.

You’ll have to pass a pre-employment drug test before you can begin working for Amazon, then you may need to pass more drug tests to keep your job.

But it’s not all bad news. Amazon made a recent change to its drug testing policy regarding marijuana. If marijuana is the only drug you use, then you don’t need to worry about failing Amazon’s pre-employment drug test.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Amazon’s current drug testing policy for new applicants and their ongoing drug testing requirements for employees.

When Do Amazon Drug Test Job Applicants?

As part of the hiring process, you’ll be asked to take a drug test after your interview or during your attendance at a hiring event.

Samples are collected on-site and then sent away to a lab for analysis. Once the lab has completed your sample analysis, they send the result to Amazon.

If your test results were clear, and you passed your other background checks, Amazon will confirm your offer of employment.

Because you passed the pre-employment drug test, you won’t be retested on your first day at work.

However, if there is a significant time lag between taking a drug test and getting your start date, you may need to take another drug test.

How Does Amazon Drug Test in 2024?

For their pre-employment and random drug tests for most roles, Amazon typically uses a non-invasive mouth swab test.

If you’re applying for a driving position or other roles which is regulated by the Department Of Transportation, then you’ll need to take a urine test.

Any workers involved in a workplace accident will also have to provide a urine sample for analysis.

For most employees and job applicants, the type of test that Amazon uses collects a saliva sample.

A cotton swab or sponge is used to take a sample from your inner cheek or from under your tongue.

The sample collection process is quick, and while they will ask you to avoid eating or drinking for 10 minutes before providing your sample, there is nothing else you need to do to prepare for the test.

Because this drug test uses a saliva sample rather than a urine sample, you can’t cheat the tests by taking a substance that alters your urine.

Saliva tests have limitations on how soon they can detect a substance after consumption, as well as how long they can detect it.

A standard 5-panel saliva drug test looks for the following substances.

Opiates

Common opiates, including codeine, heroin, and morphine, show up on a saliva test 1 hour after using the substance. Opiates then remain detectable for around 24 to 36 hours after they’ve been consumed.

Amphetamines and Methamphetamine

A saliva test will detect amphetamines within 5 to 10 minutes of use. The test will detect any amphetamine use which took place over the previous 48 hours.

Where methamphetamine is concerned, the substance can still be picked up 48 hours after use (and possibly longer for heavy users).

Cocaine

Cocaine use is picked up by a mouth swab test 10 minutes after consumption. The metabolites of this drug pass out of the detectable range after 48 hours.

Marijuana

The THC component of weed will be detected by a saliva test as soon as one hour after using the drug. Detectable levels are usually cleared from saliva after 18 hours. Check the next section for more details on Amazon’s current marijuana policy.

Phencyclidine (PCP)

Phencyclidine remains detectable in saliva for up to 48 hours.

Sometimes a test screen will be requested to check for benzodiazepines. This broad class of drugs has varying detection windows depending on the particular drug in question. You can expect these drugs to show up on a mouth swab test 2.5 days after use.

If Amazon needs to screen you for alcohol use on the job, you should know that alcohol will show on a saliva test very quickly after consumption and remain detectable for 6 to 12 hours after your last drink.

5 Panel Drug Detection Using A Urine Test

When you’re asked to provide a urine sample for your drug test, these are the timings that will affect your result. The timings are variable because your physiology determines how quickly you will fully metabolize and excrete the substances.

Opiates 1-3 days
Amphetamines and Methamphetamine 1-4 days
Cocaine 1-4 days
Marijuana 1-10 days (infrequent use); 30 days or more (chronic use)
Phencyclidine (PCP) 1-8 days (infrequent use); 28 days or more (chronic use)

Amazon’s New Policy On Marijuana Use

Amazon has adjusted its drug policy concerning marijuana in roles not regulated by the Department Of Transportation (DOT). DOT regulated positions at Amazon include truck drivers and heavy equipment operators.

In June 2021, Amazon CEO Dave Clark announced that the company would no longer disqualify applicants who test positive for marijuana use.

The 5-panel pre-employment drug screen will still show recent marijuana use, but Amazon will now ignore the result.

Mr. Clark did, however, clarify that Amazon will continue to test for and act on marijuana use during impairment checks and following any workplace incidents.

Medical marijuana is now legal in some states, and cardholders should not face sanctions for a random drug test showing a positive result.

However, being impaired because of drug use while you’re at work is still a violation of company policy, and using marijuana while on the job, even with a medical marijuana card, could land you in serious trouble with your employer.

Read This: Can People With Felonies Work At Amazon?

How Long Do You Have To Wait For Your Amazon Drug Test Results?

It’s understandable that you want your results back as soon as possible, so you aren’t left in an anxious limbo wondering about the outcome of your drug test, but you could have to wait up to 3 weeks for your results.

The actual waiting time is often as little as 1-2 days, but if the lab analyzing your sample is very busy, you can expect a longer wait.

Just prior to the holiday season when Amazon takes on many seasonal workers, drug test results take longer to complete.

You can track the progress of your application on your jobs portal. If your test results are taking a long time, reach out to Amazon and see if they can help you.

How Often Does Amazon Give Random Drug Tests?

Amazon regularly conducts random drug tests. As an employee, you have to comply with their policy, which states they can test you at any time.

It’s not a good idea to continue to use drugs when you’re employed by a company that conducts random drug testing. If you do, you risk losing your job and having a termination for drug use recorded on your employment record.

Because they could test you at any time, there is no way to beat a random drug test.

When you first apply to Amazon for a job, you can pass the drug test by staying clean for a few days prior to your test. Since you know when the test will take place, you can plan for it. Passing that test gets you hired.

From then on, the only surefire way of passing random drug tests at work is to stop taking drugs.

Even though you’re subject to random drug testing, you may never be tested. Amazon selects a percentage of people from each location when it carries out a random drug test. You could escape random testing every time or they could select you multiple times in one year.

Random tests aren’t the only tests you need to be prepared for if you decide to continue to use drugs during your employment with Amazon. If your manager suspects you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs while you are at work, they can ask you to take a test.

Any employee involved in a workplace accident is also required to undergo a drug test, and this will be a more thorough urine analysis.

There’s another important reason to stay drug-free while you’re an Amazon employee. Unfortunately, there are times when a manager may look for an excuse (any excuse) to fire you.

All they have to do is say they suspect you of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol and they can test you.

If you have drugs in your system, even from a few days ago during your time off, you will fail the test and give the manager the excuse they were looking for.

Can You Fail Amazon’s Drug Test If You Take Prescription Medication?

Some prescription medications can interfere with the results of your drug screening. Drug tests are more refined and well-targeted than they used to be, but prescription drugs can still trigger a false positive.

When you go for a drug test screening, the person performing the test may ask you if you take any prescription medications and record which ones you take, so they can be taken into account.

If you test positive for any of the substances on the drug panel, the testing lab will contact you and ask you to provide proof of your prescription. You can give them a copy of your prescription, and a photo of your prescription bottle label, or you can give permission for them to contact your doctor.

As long as you tell them about all the medications that you need to take and can provide the required proof, you do not need to worry about failing your Amazon drug test because of prescription drugs.

But, if you take prescription medication and can’t provide proof, then you will fail the drug screening.

This is a situation you could face if you don’t have health insurance and you’ve had to rely on other sources for your medication.

If this situation applies to you, the best thing to do is stop the medication for a few days prior to your drug test, or find a way to afford a legitimate prescription.

Once you pass the drug screening and get hired, Amazon will give you health insurance, and you won’t face difficulty affording your prescription in the future.

What Are The Consequences Of Failing Amazon’s Drug Test?

If you test positive for any of the drugs Amazon screens for, they will not hire you. It’s in your best interests to make sure you pass the test so you can start work as soon as possible. But if you didn’t manage to pass, all is not lost.

Failing a drug test during pre-employment screening won’t be a permanent bar to working for the retail giant, because they will remove your drug test results from their system after 4 months.

Once 4 months have passed, you can apply for any position with Amazon by submitting a fresh application. You will need to take and pass a new drug test, and hopefully, your new circumstances will make that possible.

If you’re already an employee and you fail a drug test, it’s likely that they will fire you from your job. Plus, if your drug use was associated with an injury on the job, Amazon could deny your injury compensation and health cover for the accident.

Your termination paperwork will state if you are eligible for future rehire and what the time period for that will be.

Amazon Drug Testing FAQs

Do You Get Drug Tested On Your First Day At Amazon?

No, there isn’t a drug test on your first day of work at Amazon. Amazon actually gives you a drug test before you get hired as part of the application process.

They carry these drug tests out when you apply at a hiring event or attend an interview. Amazon uses a non-invasive mouth swab to collect a saliva sample from you, and you should get your test results within 3 weeks.

Will Amazon Hire If You Fail A Drug Test?

It’s very unlikely that Amazon will hire you if you failed your pre-employment drug test. Even so, you can still reapply for another position with the company in the future.

But you must wait for your drug test results to drop off their system or you would face an automatic rejection. Most sources report drug results dropping after 4 months.

How Does Amazon Warehouse Drug Test You?

For the routine drug testing of employees, Amazon Warehouse uses a saliva drug test. The test is quick and painless, using a non-invasive swab to swipe inside your cheek or under your tongue.

If you’ve been involved in an incident at work, they will ask you to take a urine test. Incidents include accidents causing injuries to yourself and others, as well as those resulting in damage to company property.

How Often Do You Have To Take A Drug Test At Amazon?

Besides your mandatory pre-employment drug test, you will be subject to other drug tests while you work for Amazon. They carry out regular random drug testing at all warehouse and fulfillment center locations.

Because people are selected entirely at random for these tests, you may never be tested. On the other hand, they may pick you up for multiple tests.

Guide Summary

Amazon, like many other employers, conducts drug testing during the hiring process. The drug test they use for Amazon warehouse and fulfillment center roles checks your saliva for recent drug use. Saliva tests rarely pick up drugs in your system beyond 4 days.

Once you’re employed by Amazon, you agree to submit to a drug test when required to do so. As such, you are subject to random drug tests, as well as drug testing following an accident at work that results in injury to yourself or others, or damage to company property.

If you have applied for a driving job with Amazon, you will be asked to provide a urine sample for analysis.

Does Amazon Drug Test?