DOT Approved Breathalyzer Models with Printer EBTs and NHTSA Listings

Confirmation is where the printer matters. Section 40.231 says an EBT used for a confirmation test must do all of the following.

• Print the result in triplicate, or three identical copies, for each breath test.
• Assign a unique number to each completed test that the technician and employee can read before the test and that prints on every copy.
• Print the device maker's name, the serial number and the time of the test on each copy.
• Tell alcohol apart from acetone at the 0.02 level.
• Run an air blank.
• Perform an external calibration check.

This is why some instruments that appear on the evidential list are still sold for screening or law enforcement only. The maker of the Lifeloc FC10, for example, lists it as an NHTSA conforming evidential product but states the FC series is not approved for DOT workplace confirmation testing. When you shop for a confirmation unit, ask the maker in writing which exact configuration, printer included, meets 40.231 and keep that answer on file.

Evidential units are sold through the makers and their distributors rather than through retail listings, which is why we do not link a store for them.

• Screening. The STT or BAT runs a screening test on a listed ASD or EBT. A result below 0.02 ends the test as negative.
• Waiting period. A screening result of 0.02 or higher requires a confirmation test, started at least 15 minutes after the screening test, while the employee does not eat, drink, smoke or put anything in the mouth.
• Confirmation. A BAT runs the confirmation test on a listed EBT that meets 40.231. The confirmation result, not the screening result, is the one that counts.
• Action. A confirmed 0.04 or higher is a DOT violation and starts the return to duty process. A confirmed result from 0.02 up to 0.039 is not a violation, but agency rules remove the employee from safety sensitive work for a set time, at least 24 hours under FMCSA rules for drivers.

Our dot breath alcohol testing guide covers the full procedure, the forms and the technician training in more depth.

The right purchase depends on how many tests you run and who does the confirmations.

• Small motor carrier or contractor with a few CDL drivers. Most buy one listed screening unit for reasonable suspicion and post accident checks and send any positive screen to a nearby third party testing site with a BAT and an EBT.
• Mid size fleet, transit or utility crew. Two listed screeners keep testing running while one unit is away for calibration, or a swappable module unit such as the AlcoMate Revo avoids the downtime.
• Large carrier, airline station or pipeline operator with its own collection site. An evidential unit with printer plus trained BATs lets you screen and confirm in house.
• Non DOT employer copying the DOT structure. A listed screener gives you a defensible starting point even where federal rules do not apply. Our professional breathalyzer comparison covers more handhelds for that use.

Run through this list with the maker or distributor before the purchase order goes out.

• Exact model name. Match the name on your invoice to the name on the federal list, including suffixes such as Pro, Select or a module type.
• Quality assurance plan. Ask for the plan for that model, since your technicians must follow it.
• Calibration path. Find out the calibration interval, whether it is a send in service, a gas check or a module swap, and how long the unit is gone.
• Mouthpieces. Use a new individually wrapped mouthpiece for each employee and buy the type made for your model. Our breathalyzer mouthpieces page lists what each maker publishes.
• Training. STTs train on the specific screening device and BATs on the specific evidential tester, with proficiency shown on that device.
• Records. Decide where test forms, calibration logs and training records live, and who can see them.
• Cost of ownership. Add calibration or modules, mouthpieces, batteries and printer paper for evidential units to the purchase price.

Check the device pages yourself on the day you buy, because listings are added over time and discontinued products can stay listed long after support ends.

Many consumer testers carry wording like "police grade" or "DOT standards" in their listings. Unless the exact model is on the federal screening or evidential list, its readings cannot be used for a DOT test, however accurate it is for personal use. Semiconductor keychain testers are a poor fit for any workplace program, because their readings shift with other substances and drift faster, which our fuel cell vs semiconductor breathalyzer comparison explains. For a fuel cell unit with a published tolerance, see the most accurate breathalyzer ranking.