Home › Guides

5-Panel vs 10-Panel Drug Test: Which Should You Use?

A 5-panel urine drug test checks for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates and PCP. A 10-panel checks for those plus five more groups: barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, methaqualone and propoxyphene. Employers outside DOT rules can choose either one in their written policy. A DOT test always uses the federal 5-panel. Which panel fits depends on the job, the employer's policy and state law. Pact sells both online for $40.

Updated October 26, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end

What a 5-panel covers

Quest Diagnostics publishes a sheet of its commonly ordered urine panels. Its "5 Panel DOT look-alike" is unit code 65105N. The sheet lists:

Amphetamines: amphetamine and methamphetamine.
MDA-analogues: MDMA (ecstasy) and MDA.
Cocaine metabolites.
Marijuana metabolites (THC).
Opiates: codeine and morphine, plus 6-acetylmorphine.
Semi-synthetic opiates: hydrocodone and hydromorphone.
Oxycodones: oxycodone and oxymorphone.
Phencyclidine (PCP).

What a 10-panel adds

Quest's "10 Panel DOT look-alike" is unit code 65190N. It is the panel used for Pact's online 10-panel. Pact's online 5-panel is 65105N. It has everything on the 5-panel above, plus:

Barbiturates: amobarbital, butalbital, pentobarbital, phenobarbital and secobarbital.
Benzodiazepines: confirmed as alprazolam metabolite and oxazepam.
Methadone.
Methaqualone.
Propoxyphene.

Same name, different drugs

"5-panel" and "10-panel" are common names, not fixed lists. Quest's own sheet shows older versions of both. Its "5 Panel pre 2010 DOT look-alike" (35105N) checks for amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates (codeine and morphine only) and PCP. It does not list oxycodone, hydrocodone or MDMA.

Sellers name their panels differently too. One national online testing seller describes its standard 5-panel as testing for "basic opiates." A national drug testing company says many of its panels add hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone as "expanded opiates," and tells buyers to pick one of those panels if they need these opioids tested.

So compare the actual list of drugs, not the panel name. If an employer or program gives you a list, match it before you order.

Cutoff levels matter too

Each drug on a panel has a cutoff: the amount the lab must find before it calls a screen not negative. Panels with the same drugs can use different cutoffs. On Quest's sheet, the current 5-panel (65105N) screens amphetamines at 500 ng/mL and cocaine metabolites at 150 ng/mL. The older 35105N panel uses 1000 ng/mL and 300 ng/mL for the same drugs.

Quest's urine testing FAQ says urine testing typically detects drug use in the previous 24 to 72 hours. Marijuana and other drugs can vary from that.

Prescriptions and MRO review

A 10-panel includes drug groups that people take by prescription, such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates. That makes medical review officer (MRO) review important. An MRO is a licensed physician who contacts the person tested about any result that isn't negative and asks about prescriptions before the result is final. Pact's tests include MRO review.

The DOT 5-panel

A DOT drug test checks for five drug classes set by federal rule: marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and PCP (49 CFR 40.82). Labs must not test DOT specimens for any other drugs. The cutoff levels for each drug are set in 49 CFR 40.85. That table includes codeine and morphine, hydrocodone and hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone, 6-acetylmorphine, and MDMA and MDA. As of October 2026, it does not list fentanyl.

DOT tests must be kept completely separate from non-DOT tests (49 CFR 40.13). A "DOT look-alike" panel is still a non-DOT test. Pact's online tests are non-DOT. If DOT rules cover the job, the employer must order a DOT test.

How employers choose

The written policy. Outside DOT rules, the employer's own drug testing policy says which panel it uses. Use the same panel for everyone in the same kind of job.
The job. A 10-panel adds prescription drug groups such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates. One national online testing seller says the 10-panel is a popular pre-employment choice, especially with healthcare employers.
State law. Some states limit testing or how results can be used. Check the state where the person works.
Cost. Prices for the two panels can be close or the same. At Pact, either one is $40, online or in an employer account.

Marijuana and state law

Some states limit how an employer can use a marijuana result. Two examples:

California: since January 1, 2024, employers generally may not discriminate in hiring or employment based on a person's off-the-job cannabis use, or on an employer-required test that finds nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites (Gov. Code 12954). The law still allows action based on valid pre-employment tests that don't screen for nonpsychoactive metabolites. It doesn't apply to the building and construction trades, to jobs that need a federal background investigation or security clearance, or where state or federal law requires testing.
Nevada: employers generally may not refuse to hire someone because a pre-employment screening test found marijuana (NRS 613.132). Exceptions include firefighters, EMTs, some driving jobs that require testing by law, and jobs the employer decides could affect the safety of others.

Fentanyl add-ons

Fentanyl is not on Quest's published lists for 65105N or 65190N. Sellers offer it as an add-on or in separate panels. For example, Pact sells a 5-panel with fentanyl (Quest 55719N) online for $89. A national drug testing company lists panels with fentanyl from $105, and an online lab-test ordering site lists a fentanyl urine test at $75. If fentanyl matters for a job, ask for a panel that names it.

Common questions

What does a 5-panel drug test check for?

Marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates and PCP. Quest's current 5-panel (65105N) also lists MDMA/MDA, 6-acetylmorphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone.

What does a 10-panel add?

Barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, methaqualone and propoxyphene, on Quest's 65190N panel.

Is the DOT test a 5-panel?

Yes. DOT tests cover five classes under 49 CFR 40.82, and labs may not test DOT specimens for other drugs. A non-DOT 5-panel is not a DOT test, even if the drugs match.

Does a 10-panel test for fentanyl or alcohol?

Not Quest's 65190N. Pact sells a 5-panel with fentanyl ($89) and a drug test with alcohol ($50) online. The alcohol test is one urine test for 11 drug groups plus alcohol; it has no methaqualone or 6-AM, and its marijuana cutoff is stricter.

Which is cheaper at Pact?

Neither. Both are $40, online or in an employer account.