Drug testing is testing for controlled substances or prescription drug misuse used when substance abuse is relevant to parenting safety, legal decision making, or compliance with court orders. Courts may order drug testing as a condition of parenting time or as an ongoing monitoring requirement.

Random drug testing is more reliable than scheduled testing because it prevents a parent from abstaining only in the days before a known test date.

A parent who fails to test or provides a diluted sample can face consequences under court orders that specifically address those outcomes. The parenting plan should address what a positive test, a missed test, or a diluted sample triggers. It should usually result in supervised parenting time or no parenting time.