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The test-retest reliability of lifetime substance abuse and dependence diagnoses obtained by telephone interviewers was investigated. Trained personnel administered two identical interviews based on a modified Diagnostic Interview Schedule-Substance Abuse Module (DIS-SAM) approximately a week apart for 100 respondents, of whom 55 were receiving alcohol or other drug treatment and 45 were randomly selected from residential households in one Michigan county. The uncorrected agreement for all lifetime dependence diagnoses exceeded 93% for all six categories assessed and the more conservative chance corrected agreement (Cohen's Kappa coefficient [Kappa]) was .92 (alcohol), .76 (marijuana), .87 (cocaine), and .71 (other opiates). Kappa coefficients for hallucinogens and heroin dependence could not be calculated due to low (i.e., 5% or less) base rates. Likewise, [Kappa] was calculated only for a single abuse diagnosis, alcohol, with [Kappa] = .42 and 95% agreement. In the interpretation of [Kappa], the standard applied was: [Kappa] ranging from .41 to .60 represented moderate agreement, [Kappa] ranging from .61 to .80 represented substantial agreement, and [Kappa] ranging from .81 to 1.00 represented excellent agreement. Thus, test-retest reliability was excellent for lifetime alcohol and cocaine dependence and was substantial for lifetime marijuana and other opiates dependence. These results indicate that lifetime psychoactive substance abuse diagnoses cam be obtained fairly reliably over the telephone using trained lay interviewers., INTRODUCTION Under a competitive procurement process, the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) funded all states to assess substance abuse treatment need and demand for individuals with alcohol and [...]