Quick answer
Oxycodone is usually detectable in urine for about 1–3 days after occasional use and 2–4 days with regular use, in blood for up to about 24 hours, and in hair for up to about 90 days. Basic opiate screens often miss it, so it needs its own test.
How long will it show up on a drug test?
Pick a substance, test type and how often it was used. Estimates are based on published research.
1 Substance
2 Type of test
3 How often
Usually detectable in urine · Oxycodone · once or occasionally
About 1–3 days
Immediate-release oxycodone clears faster than extended-release (OxyContin).
- What the test looks for
- Oxycodone and its metabolite oxymorphone
- On standard drug tests?
- Basic opiate screens often miss it. It needs an oxycodone-specific test (included on federal workplace panels).
- How fast it clears
- About 3–4.5 hours (immediate-release vs. extended-release, FDA labels).
Estimates, not a guarantee. Dose, how often and how long someone has used, body fat, hydration, metabolism and the lab’s cutoff all change the window. No calculator can tell you how a specific test will come out.
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How long does oxycodone stay in your urine?
Urine tests look for oxycodone and oxymorphone, one of its metabolites.
| Test | Once or occasionally | Daily or long-term use |
|---|---|---|
| Urine | About 1–3 days | About 2–4 days |
| Blood | Up to about 24 hours | Up to about 1–2 days |
| Saliva | Up to about 1–1.5 days | Up to about 1–1.5 days |
| Hair | Up to about 90 days | Up to about 90 days |
Immediate-release oxycodone (like Percocet or Roxicodone) generally clears faster, about 1–1.5 days at common cutoffs, than extended-release forms like OxyContin, which can be detected for 1.5–3 days.
Oxycodone half-life
The FDA labels list a half-life of about 3.2 hours for immediate-release oxycodone and about 4.5 hours for OxyContin. Most of the drug leaves the body within about a day, though metabolites last longer in urine.
Does oxycodone show up on a drug test?
Often not on a basic opiate screen. Standard opiate tests are built to detect morphine and codeine and have low sensitivity for oxycodone, so it can screen negative. Oxycodone needs a specific test. Federal workplace panels include oxycodone with a 100 ng/mL cutoff, and pain clinics and treatment programs usually test for it directly.
How long does oxycodone stay in your blood, saliva and hair?
Oxycodone is usually detectable in blood for up to about 24 hours, and saliva for about 1–1.5 days. Hair tests can detect opioid use over about the past 90 days.
What affects how long oxycodone stays in your system?
- How much and how often. A single use clears far faster than daily or heavy use, which can build up in the body.
- The test and its cutoff. Every test has a cutoff level. Labs using lower cutoffs or more sensitive methods (like LC-MS/MS) can detect use for longer.
- Metabolism, age and health. Liver and kidney function, age, genetics and other medications change how fast a drug is broken down.
- Body fat and hydration. Fat-soluble drugs linger longer in people with more body fat. Diluted urine can lower concentrations, and labs check for dilution.
- Formulation. Extended-release tablets last longer than immediate-release ones.
Getting help for opioid use
Opioid withdrawal is rarely dangerous on its own, but it is very uncomfortable and a major reason people relapse. Medications such as buprenorphine and methadone ease withdrawal and cut the risk of overdose. See our opioid addiction treatment guide or find MAT programs near you.
When a drug test is the least of your worries
If you are looking this up because you are worried about an upcoming test, it may be worth asking a bigger question: is your use starting to cost you something, such as your job, your health, money or relationships? Needing to plan around a drug test is itself a sign some people use to decide it is time for help.
Treatment is more flexible than most people expect. Outpatient programs let you keep working, and many plans cover rehab under federal parity rules. You can get matched with up to 3 programs in about a minute, browse rehab centers by state, or call the number on this page to talk it through. It is free and confidential.
Detection times for other substances
See every substance side by side on our drug detection times chart.
Frequently asked questions
How long does oxycodone stay in your urine?
About 1–3 days after occasional use and about 2–4 days with regular use. Extended-release forms last longer than immediate-release.
Does oxycodone show up as an opiate on a drug test?
Not reliably. Basic opiate screens often miss oxycodone, so it needs a specific oxycodone test.
What is the half-life of oxycodone?
About 3–4.5 hours, depending on whether it is immediate-release or extended-release.
How long does Percocet stay in your system?
Percocet contains immediate-release oxycodone, so it is usually detectable in urine for about 1–1.5 days at common cutoffs, and up to a few days with regular use.
Sources
- SAMHSA. TAP 32: Clinical Drug Testing in Primary Care (2012)
- Moeller KE et al. Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests. Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2017)
- SAMHSA. TIP 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (2021)
- FDA label: OxyContin (oxycodone extended-release). DailyMed
- Hadland SE, Levy S. Objective Testing: Urine and Other Drug Tests. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am (2016)
- HHS/SAMHSA. Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs: Authorized Testing Panels. Federal Register (Jan 2025)
- Chen RJ, Cogburn M. Drug Testing. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
