Do you need parental/guardian consent for a drug test when hiring a minor?

While the laws vary by state, in general, while minors can consent to drug testing, it is not enforceable unless a parent or legal guardian also consents. If your company drug tests employees over 18 years of age, it should apply that standard across the board to all employees. Parental consent should be included on all forms as a separate signature line or related form and should be part of all pre-employment paperwork.

Despite the parent’s consent to the testing, the recommendation is that the consent form is clear that the results of any testing will only be shared with the minor unless permission is expressly given for those results to be shared with the parents.

What types of tests are there?

No single drug test will test for every substance. Some tests can pick up marijuana use while others will miss it but detect cocaine use. Typically, urine and saliva tests detect the most used drugs, and more specialized tests may be necessary for the detection of other less common drugs. For example, most of the standard urine and saliva kits test for:
• Marijuana
• Cocaine
• Opiates
• Amphetamines
• PCP

The more sophisticated tests may also test for:
• Barbiturates
• Benzodiazepines
• Methadone