Also known as: Cotinine Test, Nicotine Blood Test, Cotinine Urine Test, Tobacco Use Test, Nicotine Test for Insurance
On your lab requisition: Labcorp “Nicotine Metabolite, Urine” (test no. 737919)
The short answer
Measures cotinine — the long-lasting nicotine metabolite used to detect tobacco use for insurance, employment, and smoking-cessation monitoring, measured from a urine sample. At TestWell it costs $55.99 plus a $6 lab processing fee, needs no fasting, and results post in 1–3 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Labcorp.
Hospital Lab
$180
cash pay
Other Labs
$89
+ lab fees
TestWell
$55.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
This urine test measures cotinine, the primary metabolite of nicotine, which remains detectable far longer than nicotine itself. While nicotine clears the body in hours, cotinine can be detected for up to a week after last tobacco use, which is why cotinine (not nicotine) is the standard marker for tobacco use. This test is commonly required for life insurance applications, pre-surgical clearance, smoking cessation programs, and employment wellness screenings.
Drug and alcohol screening detects recent or chronic substance use for clinical, occupational, or personal monitoring purposes.
Patients being evaluated for substance use, employers requiring confirmation testing, and individuals self-monitoring recovery.
Sample Type
Urine sample
Fasting
Not required
Results In
1–3 business days · typical; varies by lab and draw day
Performed At
Labcorp
1 biomarker tested
Your Nicotine Test (Cotinine) results will include values for each of the 1 biomarker tested, along with reference ranges. Results are reviewed by a licensed physician before being released to your secure portal.
If any values fall outside the normal range, your report will include guidance on what that may mean and recommended next steps. You'll receive an email notification when your results are ready, typically within 1–3 business days.
Typical reference range layout
Lab reports show where your value sits relative to established reference intervals—your physician interprets this in context for you. Already have results? Analyze them with your AI assistant against our physician-reviewed ranges.
No fasting required. Avoid nicotine replacement products (patches, gum, lozenges) if testing for tobacco use specifically.
TestWell orders the same Nicotine Test (Cotinine) the labs run for doctors' offices, so you can walk into Labcorp with our requisition — no doctor's visit, a licensed physician authorizes the order, and most patient service centers take walk-ins. The table shows each lab's own test code, the name printed on the requisition, what the lab charges on its own consumer site, and the price through TestWell at that lab (plus one $6 fee per order).
| Lab | Test code | On the requisition | Lab's own site | Through TestWell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labcorp | test no. 737919 | “Nicotine Metabolite, Urine” | not sold direct | $55.99 + $6 |
You choose the lab at checkout; the requisition is written for that lab and arrives by email within minutes. New York and New Jersey orders draw at BioReference. Lab-direct prices are read from the labs' public pages and re-checked regularly.
Where to get it near you: patient service centers by state and city · search by ZIP code
A Nicotine Test (Cotinine) costs $55.99 at TestWell — $61.99 all-in, since the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order and there is no draw or physician fee. The labs' own sites list the same test at $142.00 at Quest Health (checked Oct 21, 2026). Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $180.00 self-pay. With insurance you pay your plan's negotiated rate against your deductible; TestWell's price is fixed before the draw and HSA/FSA-eligible. Full cost breakdown →
| Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TestWell (drawn at Labcorp) | $55.99 | $61.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
| Quest Health (Quest Diagnostics' own site) | $142.00 | $142.00 | list price checked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $180.00 | $180.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher |
56% less than the lower lab-direct list price, for the same draw at the same lab. Lab test codes: Labcorp test no. 737919. Competitor prices are read from the linked public pages and re-checked regularly; the labs' sites may add taxes or change prices without notice.
Compare more: Quest Diagnostics price list · Labcorp price list · Quest vs Labcorp · Lab test price checker
Cotinine, the metabolite this test measures, has a half-life of about 16–20 hours, so it is detectable for roughly 3–4 days after the last cigarette, vape, or pouch in an occasional user and up to 1–2 weeks in a heavy daily user. Nicotine itself is gone within a day, which is why laboratories test cotinine instead. Hair testing can reach back about three months but is not what this test does.
Yes. Cotinine comes from nicotine regardless of the source — cigarettes, cigars, vapes, pouches, snus, patches, gum, or lozenges. If you are using nicotine replacement for a quit attempt and the test is for an insurer or employer, say so in advance; some programmes accept documentation of NRT use, and some test for anabasine, a tobacco-only marker, to tell the two apart.
Laboratories report a numeric value with a cut-off; most use about 10 ng/mL in urine to separate active use from second-hand exposure, which usually produces values under 10. Heavy smokers commonly run in the hundreds to over 1,000 ng/mL. Insurers and surgical programmes each set their own threshold, so check the number they require.
Life insurers price non-smoker rates on a negative cotinine, and many surgeons — especially for plastic, spinal, and bariatric procedures — require a negative result 2–4 weeks before an operation because nicotine impairs wound healing and bone fusion. This test is the standard laboratory cotinine measurement; download the PDF result from your portal to submit.
Urine sample. A urine sample you provide at any Quest, Labcorp or BioReference patient service center — no appointment needed at most locations. For infection and STI tests, collect the first part of the stream and try not to urinate for an hour beforehand.
On TestWell, the Nicotine Test (Cotinine) is $55.99. Quest Direct lists comparable tests at $89. Walk-in hospital labs typically bill $180 or more without insurance. Insurance is not required — pay one all-in price.
No fasting required for the Nicotine Test (Cotinine). No fasting required. Avoid nicotine replacement products (patches, gum, lozenges) if testing for tobacco use specifically.
The Nicotine Test (Cotinine) is available at Labcorp patient service centers nationwide. Order online at TestWell, pick your preferred lab, and we'll generate a digital requisition for the location closest to you.
Ordered directly, a Nicotine Test (Cotinine) lists at $142.00 at Quest Health (Quest Diagnostics' own site) (prices checked October 2026). TestWell orders the same test at the same Labcorp patient service centers for $55.99 — $61.99 all-in with the $6 per-order lab processing fee — paid out of pocket at checkout with no insurance, doctor's visit or draw fee; HSA and FSA cards are accepted.
The Nicotine Test (Cotinine) is Labcorp test number 737919 ("Nicotine Metabolite, Urine"). TestWell orders it under that code for $55.99 at Labcorp — no doctor's visit or insurance required, results in 1–3 business days. Codes verified against the labs' catalogs in 2026.
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed September 2026
TestWell Price
$55.99
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
Frequently ordered together
Customers who ordered Nicotine Test (Cotinine) also added these for a more complete health picture.
Not sure where to start?
Nicotine Test (Cotinine)
$55.99