Home › Guides

Can You Order Your Own Drug Test or Background Check?

In many cases, yes. Pact sells its 10-panel drug test and its background checks to job applicants, workers and students, not just employers. Federal law lets a background check company furnish a report on the written instructions of the person it is about. There are limits. Some states restrict lab tests ordered without a licensed provider, so if you are testing in New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island, call Pact before you order. And an employer can still ask you to take its own test or run its own check.

Updated October 16, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end

Ordering your own drug test

With Pact, you order a $40 10-panel urine test online and get a Quest Diagnostics donor pass by email, usually within one business day (Monday to Friday). You take the pass and a government-issued photo ID to a Quest patient service center. Nothing is paid at the site.

The result is reported to you and to any employer or program you name at checkout. It is a non-DOT test. If DOT rules cover the job, the employer must order a DOT test.

State limits on self-ordered lab tests

Some states limit lab tests that a person orders without a doctor or other licensed provider. New York is one. In 2015, the New York Attorney General announced agreements with two lab testing companies to stop New Yorkers from getting clinical lab testing without a licensed medical provider's involvement, which the announcement says New York State law requires.

Pact asks anyone testing in New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island to call 901-666-6970 before ordering. State rules can change, so if you have a legal question about your state, talk to your attorney.

Ordering your own background check

The Fair Credit Reporting Act lists when a consumer reporting agency may furnish a report. One is "in accordance with the written instructions of the consumer to whom it relates" (15 U.S.C. 1681b(a)(2)). That is what lets you order a check on yourself.

With Pact, Checkr emails you a secure link. You enter your legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and address history, and sign the disclosure and authorization on Checkr's site. Nothing runs before you consent. You can see your own report through Checkr.

Orders are taken now and start when Pact's Checkr account opens; Checkr then emails the person.

Why people check themselves first

To see what an employer may see before they apply.
To catch mistakes, such as mixed-up records or identity theft, and dispute them. Under the FCRA, the agency must investigate a dispute unless it is frivolous.
To be ready to explain anything that will show up.
To have a report ready when a program or employer accepts one from any provider.

Sharing your results

If you name an employer or program at checkout, Pact's drug test result or Checkr's report goes to them as well as to you. The CFPB's summary of FCRA rights says a consumer reporting agency may not give information about you to your employer or a potential employer without your written consent given to the employer.

An employer may still run its own

A test or check you order yourself is only useful if the employer or program agrees to accept it. Many name a specific testing or screening company. If yours does, use that company. Ask before you order.

Employers can also get reports for employment purposes themselves (15 U.S.C. 1681b(a)(3)(B)). To do that, they must give you a written disclosure and get your written authorization first (1681b(b)(2)). An employer may decide to run its own check even if you bring one.

Common questions

Can I order a drug test for myself?

Yes. Pact sells its $40 non-DOT 10-panel to individuals. If you are testing in New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island, call Pact at 901-666-6970 before you order.

Can I run a background check on myself?

Yes. The FCRA allows a report to be furnished on the written instructions of the person it is about. Pact's checks run through Checkr after you enter your details and consent.

Will my employer accept a test or check I ordered?

Only the employer or program can tell you. Ask before you order. If it names a specific company, use that company.

Does my employer see my results automatically?

No. Results go to an employer or program only if you name them at checkout.

Can I order a background check on someone else?

Pact's checks need the person's own consent. Checkr emails them a link, and nothing runs until they enter their details and sign the disclosure and authorization.

Can a self-ordered drug test count for a DOT job?

No. Pact's online test is non-DOT. A DOT test must be ordered under DOT rules and kept separate from non-DOT tests.