Guide · Alcohol and drugs
Abstinence proof for the MPU
Abstinence proof shows that you have not taken alcohol or drugs over a certain period. You provide it with urine samples or hair analyses at a laboratory that works according to the CTU criteria. It is usually 6 or 12 months. How long it has to be in your case depends on your history.
When do I need abstinence proof?
Mainly for an MPU because of alcohol or because of drugs and cannabis. Assessors follow fixed assessment criteria, the so-called CTU criteria. Under these, many cases require you to prove abstinence over a certain period.
Whether you need proof, and for how long, depends on the individual case: on what is in your file, what your consumption used to look like and what the driving licence authority wants to know. In some alcohol cases, a lasting controlled use of alcohol can be enough instead of complete abstinence.
Clarify the duration before you sign a contract with a laboratory. Proof that is too short is one of the most common reasons an MPU has to be postponed.
6, 12 or 15 months: how many samples?
For the urine programme, the CTU criteria (4th edition, 2022) set a minimum number of clean samples:
| Period | Urine samples (minimum) |
|---|---|
| 6 months | 4 |
| 12 months | 6 |
| 15 months | 7 |
For hair analyses, hair length counts. Hair grows about one centimetre a month. For alcohol, at most 3 cm can be tested at a time, for drugs at most 6 cm. So one year of alcohol abstinence needs four hair samples, one year of drug abstinence needs two.
Urine sample or hair analysis?
| Urine programme | Hair analysis | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | You sign a contract with the laboratory and are called in without notice. | You give a hair sample at fixed intervals. |
| How quickly | You usually have to attend the laboratory within 24 hours. | Appointments can be planned. |
| Retroactive | No, only from the start of the contract. | Yes, to a limited extent: up to 3 months for alcohol, up to 6 months for drugs. |
| Alcohol | Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in urine or phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in blood. | At most 3 cm per sample; hair must not be dyed, tinted or permed. |
| Drugs | Broad screening panel, including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates. | At most 6 cm per sample. |
If your hair is very short, chest or beard hair can often be used instead. Which method suits you better depends on your daily life: if you travel a lot and cannot get to the laboratory within a day, hair analysis is usually the better choice.
What to watch out for
- Choose a laboratory that explicitly works according to the CTU criteria. Other tests, for example at your GP, are not recognised in the MPU.
- The proof must be complete. If you miss an appointment, the programme may end and have to start again.
- Start in good time. A urine programme is not retroactive, and hair only goes back a limited time.
- Hidden alcohol, for example in mouthwash, chocolates, some medicines or “alcohol-free” beer, can affect results. If in doubt, ask your laboratory before taking anything.
- Keep all results and take the final report to the MPU. It should be up to date at the time of your MPU appointment.
- Costs vary by laboratory and programme. Ask for a written quote in advance.
The proof alone is not enough
Clean abstinence proof is important, but it is only one part of the MPU. In the psychological interview, the assessors want to understand why you abstain, what has changed in your life and how you prevent it from happening again. That is exactly what I prepare you for.
In the free first call we look together at which period is likely to be needed in your case and plan the way to your MPU appointment. This does not replace legal advice.
Frequently asked questions about abstinence proof
Can I provide abstinence proof retroactively?
Not with a urine programme, which only counts from the start of the contract. Hair analyses can prove something retroactively to a limited extent: up to 3 months for alcohol, up to 6 months for drugs.
How long do I have to be abstinent?
Usually 6 or 12 months, in some cases 15 months. That depends on your history and on what the authority wants to know. We assess this together in the first call.
What happens if a sample is positive?
Then abstinence is not proven for that period, and the proof usually has to start again. Talk about it openly, including during preparation. Dealing with it honestly is better than hiding it.
Can I drink alcohol-free beer during the proof period?
“Alcohol-free” beer can still contain small amounts of alcohol. Avoid it or ask your laboratory.
How much does abstinence proof cost?
That varies a lot depending on the laboratory, method and duration. Get a written quote and compare.
