The Code of Federal Regulations' rules on specimen collectors and general industry consensus has determined a need for a program providing collection personnel with the training to become proficient in urine specimen collection for drug testing in the work place. The Certified Professional Collector^®(CPC) program aims to ensure that the collection is performed in a professional and consistent manner, maintaining confidentiality for the donor and security, integrity and control of the specimen.

The diversity of collection facilities and employer needs require that the program used to train collection personnel be adaptable to fit the specific requirements of each facility or company and provide consistency and competency throughout the industry. For this reason, the DATIA Certified Professional Collector® Program was designed to prevent facilities or companies from having to bear the time and expense of sending all of their collection personnel to be trained in-person at a DATIA administered training course. Collection personnel can be trained by a collection supervisor (from that same company) who has been trained through the DATIA Certified Professional Collector Trainer® (CPCT) Course.

The renewal process for both CPCs and CPCTs consists of a comprehensive certification exam. Attendance at a DATIA administered training course is not required. As new technologies become adopted into mandated testing, however, training on the new collection procedures will be incorporated in to the Certified Professional Collector program.

• Authority to use the CPC/CPCT designation on letterhead, business cards, and all forms of address.
• Receive a certificate attesting to your achievement.
• Recognition - By using your designation, you will be recognized as a drug and alcohol testing professional dedicated to providing superior services.
• Professional Development - Increased knowledge of all aspects of specimen collection is gained through training and preparation for the Certification Exam.

CPCT

To be eligible to attend the Certified Professional Collector Trainer (CPCT) Training Course and take the CPCT Certification Exam, the collector must first:

• Currently employed in a position with active participation in collection services
• Possess understanding of DOT and HHS specimen collection requirements
• 100 completed specimen collections and 6 months active participation in specimen collection services (must meet this requirement before attending a CPCT Training seminar)
• Successful completion of the DATIA CPCT Training Seminar
• Successfully achieving a passing score on the CPCT examination
  
• Successfully completed 5 error-free mock collections

CPC

To be eligible to take the Collector Certification Exam, the collector must first:

• Currently employed in a position with active participation in collection services
• Possess understanding of DOT and HHS specimen collection requirements
• Successful completion of training by a current CPCT from the candidate's company or via the online CPC course
• Successfully achieving a passing score on the CPC examination
  
• Successfully completed 5 error-free mock collections

Please Note: DATIA training fees do NOT include the Initial Proficiency Demonstrations, also known as the “5 mock collections,” a DOT requirement for collector training, and, therefore a DATIA requirement for CPC/CPCT certification. You will need to do these on your own before getting access to DATIA’s certification exam. Please use our Regional Certified Professional Collector Trainer (R-CPCT) directory here to search for an R-CPCT near you to monitor your mock collections. If you cannot locate one near you, please keep in mind that many are willing to travel or monitor mock collections via webcam. You may also complete the mock collections with ANY collector who has been doing DOT collections for at least a year, OR who has taken a Train-the-Trainer course in DOT collections. (See 49 CFR Part 40.33 – What Training Requirements Must a Collector Meet?)

The initial fee for the Certified Professional Collector Trainer (CPCT) Training Course, and CPCT designation is $379 for DATIA members, and $479 for non-members. The renewal fee for the CPCT Certification Exam and designation is $95 annually.

There is no fee for the training of collectors by a Certified Professional Collector Trainer (CPCT). The fee for administration of the CPC Certification Exam, and the CPC designation is based upon the number of collectors applying for certification from the company (same fees apply for renewal). The discounted rates are:

For more information on the program, also see:

DATIA Online Exams

Overview of DOT Rules Affecting Collectors