Nevada State Drug Testing Laws

Last Update on April 18, 2023

Workplace Drug Testing Issues – Nevada State Laws

These categories do not effect DOT-regulated drug testing. Government employers should always call for potential additional restrictions on employee drug testing.

Nevada update 01/21/2020

Pre-employment marijuana law went into effect January 1, 2020:

Employers cannot fail or refuse to hire prospective employees because of marijuana metabolites in a drug test
- Includes limited protections for safety-sensitive industries
This does not prohibit pre-employment testing for Federally mandated programs like for the US Department of transporation (DOT).

Visit our page on Marijuana Considerations & Laws – State by State

Drug Testing Issue	Status	Comments
Instant or POCT Testing	Restricted	Facility must have a lab license. Quest Diagnostics does not perform instant testing at facilities in Nevada, LabCorp does. National Drug Screening operates two POCT facilities in Las Vegas.
Drug Panels	No Restrictions
Laboratory	License Required	Check with Nevada Department of Health, Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp and Alere Toxicology are all licensed.
Medical Review Officer	Not Required	Highly recommended to limit exposure to liability. Always required for DOT testing.
Random testing and reasonable suspicion testing	No Restrictions
Post-accident testing	No Restrictions	Follow a 'reasonable basis' for requiring a post-accident drug test.
Unemployment Denial	Yes	Terminate for misconduct, address misconduct in drug free workplace policy. Violation of the drug free workplace policy is misconduct.
Workers Comp Discount	No
Intoxication Defense	Yes	WC compensation not payable for an injury proximately caused by the employee's use of a controlled substance.
Medical Marijuana	Yes	To purchase medicinal cannabis in the state of Nevada you must have a valid medical marijuana card. Employers should consult legal counsel regarding reasonable accommodation for employees with a medical marijuana card.
Recreational Marijuana	Yes	Passed November 2017, the law does not restrict employers' ability to enforce policies that restrict drug use, including marijuana and this includes drug testing.
Report Driver DOT Positives	No
General Statute	--	Nevada has no law addressing drug testing in private employment.

Intoxication Defense – Denial of Workers Compensation Claim – States vary in their willingness to allow employers to use an injured worker’s intoxication as a defense against a claim for compensation. State laws’ intoxication defenses generally fall into one of three rough categories: defenses that do not depend on causation; defenses that require some form of proximate causation between intoxication and injury; and defenses that require that intoxication be the sole cause of injury. Always check with your insurance company and your attorney when you have a refusal or positive post-accident test after an injury.

This chart is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for legal guidance. State and local law varies greatly; therefore, you are advised to consult experienced legal counsel during the development or edit of your actual substance abuse testing program and with any questions that follow.

State Law Nevada

Drug Testing in Nevada

Testing locations are available in all areas. For immediate service for employers or individuals call 866-843-4545 or Order Now.

Marijuana Laws for Nevada

Marijuana considerations are important and marijuana laws often update often, check out Marijuana in the Workplace.

Nevada State Drug Testing Laws

Workplace Drug Testing Issues – Nevada State Laws

Drug Testing in Nevada

Marijuana Laws for Nevada

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