Buprenorphine does not cause a positive result in a standard opiate urine quick test (stick, cup, etc). Many opiate tests test only for morphine (which both codeine and heroin break down into). This is true for both home/business kits and laboratory testing. Because buprenorphine does not break down into morphine, it is therefore not detected by these tests.

Home and laboratory testing is available that will detect buprenorphine. Test results depend on the specific test that is used and whether or not laboratory verification is required. When drug testing is being conducted on known opioid users, specific buprenorphine testing is sometimes used to verify that it is not being used.

Because buprenorphine has become more popular among prisoners and opioid addicts since the mid 2000s, there are more labs that look for buprenorphine and more groups that have added it to their list of substances identified. When urine samples are sent for lab confirmation, buprenorphine is usually detected.