FTA Publishes 2025 Random Testing Rates
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published that the minimum annual random rates for 2025 will remain at to 50% annually for drug testing and 10% annually for alcohol testing. The FTA published the 2025 random drug and alcohol testing rates for 2025 in the November 26, 2024 Federal Register.
The FTA can adjust the minimum random drug and alcohol testing rates annually based on the reported positive rate of the industry’s random drug and alcohol tests. In accordance with 49 CFR Part 655.45(c)(1) if the reported positive random drug testing rate is below one (1) percent for two consecutive years, the FTA may lower the random drug testing rate to 25% for all covered employees. Conversely, 49 CFR Part 655.45(c)(2) requires the FTA to raise the minimum random drug testing rate from 25% to 50% for all covered employees when the latest reported positive random drug testing rate is equal or greater than one (1) percent.
49 CFR Part 655.45(d)(1)(i) states if the reported violation rate for random alcohol testing rate is below one (0.5) percent for two consecutive years, the FTA may lower the random alcohol testing rate to 10% for all covered employees. Conversely, 49 CFR Part 655.45(d)(2)(i) requires the FTA to raise the minimum random alcohol testing rate from 10% to 25% for all covered employees when the latest reported violation rate for random alcohol testing rate is equal or greater than one (0.5) percent.
In 2018 the FTA raised the random drug testing rate to 50% annually, where it has remained in subsequent years. The reported positive random drug testing percent for CY 2022 was 1.090 percent and for CY 2023 was 1.23 percent, requiring the FTA to maintain the annual random drug testing rate for CY 2025 at 50% for all covered employees. The random alcohol testing rate for 2025 will remain at 10% based on the alcohol violation rate for 2022 being .18% and for 2023 also being .18%.
