Do I have to pee in front of people at MEPS?

No, you do not urinate in front of others. The drug test at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) is conducted with procedures in place to ensure privacy while also maintaining the integrity and security of the sample.

How the Process Works:

1. Private Stall: You will provide the urine sample in a private, individual restroom stall. A toilet bluing agent is used to prevent sample dilution.
2. Monitored Procedure: To prevent tampering or sample substitution, a military member or MEPS staff member of the same gender will be present outside the stall. They will listen for the normal sounds of urination but will not visually observe you.
3. Temperature Check: Immediately after you provide the sample, you will hand it to the monitor, who will check its temperature to ensure it is consistent with a fresh, bodily-warm sample.
4. Sealing and Labeling: The monitor will then seal and label the specimen bottle in front of you for chain-of-custody documentation.

The process is designed to balance personal privacy with the military’s legitimate need for an unadulterated, valid drug test from every applicant.

For related information on the strict schedule you must follow at MEPS, you can read about What time should I wake up for MEPS?.

For the official, external Department of Defense instruction governing the military’s drug testing program, including collection procedures, you can review Department of Defense Instruction 1010.16.