Drug Testing Laws in Kentucky

State law (Kentucky): An employer seeking certification must provide all employees with written materials explaining its policies and procedures for the programme Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026.

State law (Kentucky): Test results must be performed by a qualified laboratory following the standards, procedures and protocols established by SAMHSA Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026. Kentucky does not write its own analytical standard — it adopts the federal one.

State law (Kentucky): An employee assistance programme is required: the employer must provide or contract for an EAP for employees and supervisors Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026. That is an obligation, not a recommendation.

State law (Kentucky): Testing may commence after a conditional offer of employment, and post-offer testing is among the required types for both urine drugs and breath alcohol Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026.

State law (Kentucky): The regulation as we read it does not specify a waiting period before testing begins Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026 — which distinguishes Kentucky from Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, all of which impose a 60-day notice before a new programme starts.

State law (Kentucky): Random selection is a REQUIRED testing type for urine drug testing at a certified Kentucky employer, alongside post-offer, reasonable suspicion, post-accident and post-rehabilitation follow-up Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026.

State law (Kentucky): Breath alcohol testing is required post-offer, on reasonable suspicion, post-accident and as post-rehabilitation follow-up Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026 — notably not on random selection.

State law (Kentucky): Follow-up testing after rehabilitation is quarterly for one year Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026. That is a defined schedule rather than a discretionary one, and it is worth knowing the endpoint if you are in it.

State law (Kentucky): The training figures are precise. Employees require at least one hour of initial alcohol and substance abuse training, and at least thirty minutes of refresher training each year thereafter. Supervisors need an additional thirty minutes each year of specialised training beyond the general employee education Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026.

State law (Kentucky): On a positive result, you get an opportunity to report to the medical review officer the use of any prescription or over-the-counter medication Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026. That is the route for a prescription, and it goes to the MRO rather than to your employer.

Federal (DOT): Because Kentucky adopts SAMHSA standards and protocols by reference Source 1State agency805 KAR 11:020 — requirements for certification of drug-free workplace — checked 18 Aug 2026, its analytical requirements sit close to the federal ones. It remains a separate programme: a DOT test is governed by federal rules and by federal random rates, not by Kentucky certification.

What we have not read: the companion regulation 805 KAR 11:010, and the premium discount figure that certification earns. The Education and Labor Cabinet publishes both a brochure and an application; neither was read, so no percentage is stated on this page.