Last reviewed: July 2026
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure database of covered CDL and CLP drug and alcohol program violations. Employers use it to determine whether a driver may perform safety-sensitive work. A driver with an unresolved violation has a prohibited status and must complete the required Substance Abuse Professional and return-to-duty process before becoming eligible to drive commercially again.
Key Takeaways
- The Clearinghouse stores FMCSA-regulated drug and alcohol violations and specified return-to-duty information; it does not conduct drug tests.
- Employers must conduct a full pre-employment query and query each covered current driver at least once every 12 months.
- A prohibited Clearinghouse status prevents a driver from performing FMCSA-regulated safety-sensitive functions.
- Since November 18, 2024, prohibited status can result in removal or denial of a driver’s CDL or CLP privileges by the State.
- Not-prohibited status does not erase the violation or necessarily end the follow-up testing plan.
- Violation information generally remains in the Clearinghouse for five years or until the follow-up testing plan is completed, whichever is later.
What Is the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?
The FMCSA Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database that provides authorized employers and government agencies with information about drug and alcohol program violations involving covered CDL and CLP holders.
The Clearinghouse became operational on January 6, 2020 after Congress directed the U.S. Department of Transportation to establish a national system for FMCSA-regulated driver violations.
Authorized users can use the system to:
- Determine whether a driver is prohibited from safety-sensitive work.
- Review resolved and unresolved violation information when authorized.
- Report specified violations.
- Record required return-to-duty milestones.
- Provide or obtain driver consent for queries.
- Support State CDL and CLP licensing decisions.
- Allow drivers to review information recorded about them.
The official system is available through the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse portal.
Does the Clearinghouse conduct drug tests?
No. The Clearinghouse does not collect specimens, perform laboratory testing, schedule testing appointments, or verify test results.
DOT drug and alcohol tests are performed through the collection, laboratory, alcohol-testing, Medical Review Officer, and employer processes established by 49 CFR Part 40 and Part 382. The Clearinghouse stores the resulting reportable violations and return-to-duty information.
Who Is Covered by the FMCSA Clearinghouse?
The Clearinghouse generally covers drivers who hold a CDL or CLP and are subject to FMCSA’s drug and alcohol testing requirements in 49 CFR Part 382.
Covered drivers may include:
- Interstate CDL drivers.
- Intrastate CDL drivers who are subject to Part 382.
- Owner-operators operating under their own USDOT authority.
- Drivers employed through staffing agencies when the position is covered.
- School-bus and passenger-vehicle drivers whose vehicles require a CDL.
- Drivers transporting placarded hazardous materials.
- Municipal and public-sector drivers when no applicable exemption removes them from the CDL and testing requirements.
- Student drivers who are employees of a motor carrier or who otherwise fall within the applicable rules.
Holding a CDL does not automatically make every activity subject to Part 382. Coverage depends on the vehicle, operation, employer, licensing requirement, and any applicable federal or State exemption.
Employers are not required to query or report Clearinghouse information for drivers who do not hold a CDL or CLP, although other driver-investigation and DOT testing requirements may still apply.
What Information Is Contained in the Clearinghouse?
The Clearinghouse contains specified violations of the prohibitions in 49 CFR Part 382, Subpart B, and selected return-to-duty information. It is not a complete driver background, medical, employment, or criminal-history database.
| Generally included | Not generally included merely because it exists |
|---|---|
| Verified positive DOT drug-test results | Negative routine DOT drug-test results |
| Verified adulterated or substituted drug-test results | Ordinary non-DOT company test results |
| Alcohol confirmation results of 0.04 or higher | Alcohol results below the federal violation threshold |
| Reportable drug- or alcohol-test refusals | A canceled test without a separate violation |
| Employer reports of actual knowledge of prohibited conduct | A driver’s complete personnel file |
| Initial SAP assessment completion | Detailed treatment or counseling records |
| SAP determination of eligibility for a return-to-duty test | A complete medical or psychiatric history |
| Negative return-to-duty test result | DOT physical examination results or the complete MCSA-5875 |
| Completion of the prescribed follow-up testing plan | Criminal records, ordinary traffic tickets, or a complete motor vehicle record |
Does the Clearinghouse contain prescription information?
The Clearinghouse does not function as a prescription-drug database. A Medical Review Officer may consider a valid prescription while verifying a laboratory-confirmed drug result, but the driver’s full prescription record is not made available through an employer query.
Does medical marijuana prevent a Clearinghouse violation?
No. Marijuana remains prohibited for DOT-regulated safety-sensitive employees. A State medical-marijuana authorization is not accepted as a legitimate medical explanation for a DOT marijuana-positive result.
Who Reports Information to the Clearinghouse?
Reporting duties depend on the type of violation or return-to-duty event. Drivers and specimen collectors do not normally enter their own test results into the system.
| Role | Clearinghouse responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Employer | Conducts required queries and reports specified alcohol violations, behavior-based refusals, actual-knowledge violations, negative return-to-duty results, and completion of follow-up testing plans. |
| Medical Review Officer | Reports verified positive, adulterated, or substituted DOT drug-test results and refusal determinations assigned to the MRO. |
| Substance Abuse Professional | Reports the date of the initial SAP assessment and the date on which the driver is determined eligible for return-to-duty testing. |
| Consortium/third-party administrator | May conduct queries and reporting for an employer when properly designated. A designated C/TPA performs required employer functions for an owner-operator’s own violations and testing. |
| Driver | Reviews their record, provides electronic consent for full queries, selects a SAP when needed, and may request correction of inaccurate information. |
| Collector, laboratory, BAT, or STT | Performs assigned collection, testing, or transmission duties under Part 40 but does not ordinarily report the final violation directly to the Clearinghouse. |
| State Driver Licensing Agency | Uses Clearinghouse information for required CDL and CLP issuance, renewal, upgrade, transfer, and downgrade decisions. |
What are the reporting deadlines?
- Employers generally report required violation and return-to-duty information by the close of the third business day after obtaining it.
- MROs generally report applicable verified drug results and refusal determinations within two business days.
- SAPs generally report the initial assessment date and return-to-duty test eligibility date by the close of the next business day.
What Is a Clearinghouse Violation?
A Clearinghouse violation is a reportable violation of FMCSA’s controlled-substance or alcohol prohibitions involving a covered CDL or CLP holder.
Reportable violations include:
- A verified positive DOT drug test.
- A verified adulterated or substituted specimen.
- An alcohol confirmation test of 0.04 or higher.
- A refusal to take a required DOT drug or alcohol test.
- Employer actual knowledge that the driver used alcohol while performing a safety-sensitive function.
- Employer actual knowledge of prohibited pre-duty alcohol use.
- Employer actual knowledge of prohibited alcohol use following an accident.
- Employer actual knowledge of prohibited controlled-substance use.
A refusal can involve more than verbally declining a test. Depending on the circumstances, failure to appear, leaving the collection site, failing to cooperate, refusing a required observed collection, or failing to complete a required medical evaluation can constitute a refusal.
Review TeamCME’s DOT drug and alcohol testing guide for CDL drivers for a broader explanation of testing situations and driver responsibilities.
How Do FMCSA Clearinghouse Queries Work?
A query is an electronic check performed by an employer or designated C/TPA to determine whether a current or prospective driver has Clearinghouse information and whether the driver is prohibited from safety-sensitive work.
| Query type | What it shows | Consent | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited query | Shows only whether resolved or unresolved information exists. It does not disclose the violation details or final eligibility status. | General consent obtained outside the Clearinghouse. The consent may cover more than one query or more than one year when written appropriately. | May satisfy the annual-query requirement when no information is found. |
| Full query | Shows detailed resolved and unresolved violation information and whether the driver is prohibited. | Specific electronic consent provided by the driver through the Clearinghouse. | Required for every pre-employment query and whenever a limited query indicates that information exists. |
What happens when a limited query finds a record?
A “record found” response does not automatically mean that the driver is prohibited. The employer must conduct a full query within 24 hours to view the details and determine the driver’s status.
If the full query is not completed within that period, the employer must not allow the driver to continue performing safety-sensitive functions until the driver consents and a full query confirms that the driver is not prohibited.
When must employers query the Clearinghouse?
Employers generally must:
- Conduct a full query before hiring or using a covered driver in a safety-sensitive position.
- Query each current covered driver at least once during every 12-month period.
- Conduct a follow-on full query when a limited query or system notification indicates new information exists.
Does a Clearinghouse query replace previous-employer investigations?
Since January 6, 2023, a pre-employment Clearinghouse query satisfies the federal inquiry requirement for a prospective driver’s previous FMCSA-regulated drug and alcohol program violations.
The employer must still complete other required background investigations. A Clearinghouse query does not replace inquiries about general safety performance, crashes, employment history, licensing, or other driver qualification information.
Do CDL Drivers Have to Register for the Clearinghouse?
A driver is not automatically required to register merely because the driver holds a CDL or CLP. However, registration is necessary to view the driver’s record and to respond to a full-query consent request.
A driver should register when the driver needs to:
- Provide electronic consent for a prospective or current employer’s full query.
- Review their Clearinghouse record.
- Receive and review violation information.
- Select a Substance Abuse Professional in the Clearinghouse.
- Track return-to-duty milestones.
- Submit or monitor a correction request.
A violation can be entered even when the driver has not registered because the system associates it with the driver’s CDL or CLP information.
Drivers can begin through the official FMCSA Clearinghouse registration page. FMCSA uses Login.gov and may require additional identity-verification steps for certain account types.
What happens if a driver refuses query consent?
An employer cannot complete a full query without the driver’s electronic consent. The employer therefore cannot verify that the driver is eligible to perform safety-sensitive functions.
The driver cannot perform safety-sensitive work for that employer when the required query cannot be completed. Refusing one employer’s query does not, by itself, create a drug or alcohol violation or make the driver prohibited for every other employer.
What Clearinghouse Requirements Apply to Owner-Operators?
An owner-operator operating under their own USDOT number generally has both driver and employer responsibilities in the Clearinghouse.
An owner-operator must generally:
- Register with the driver and employer roles.
- Designate at least one consortium/third-party administrator in the Clearinghouse.
- Participate in a compliant DOT drug and alcohol testing program.
- Ensure required pre-employment and annual queries are conducted.
- Ensure reportable violations are entered correctly.
- Use the designated C/TPA for employer actions involving the owner-operator’s own tests, violations, and follow-up testing.
Designating a C/TPA does not eliminate the owner-operator’s responsibility to ensure that the program complies with Parts 40 and 382.
What Do “Driver Prohibited” and “Driver Not Prohibited” Mean?
| Status | Meaning | What the driver may need to do |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibited | An unresolved FMCSA drug or alcohol program violation prevents the driver from performing regulated safety-sensitive functions. | Complete the SAP evaluation, prescribed education or treatment, follow-up evaluation, and required return-to-duty test. |
| Not prohibited | The Clearinghouse does not currently prevent the driver from performing safety-sensitive functions. This normally occurs after a required negative return-to-duty result is reported. | Continue any required follow-up testing and satisfy all other employer, licensing, medical, and driver qualification requirements. |
Does “driver not prohibited” mean the violation was erased?
No. Not-prohibited status means the driver is eligible under the Clearinghouse rules to resume safety-sensitive work. The underlying violation remains in the record for the applicable retention period.
Does not-prohibited status guarantee a driving job?
No. An employer may apply a lawful company policy that is stricter than the federal minimum. The driver must also hold valid commercial driving privileges, maintain any required medical certification, meet driver qualification requirements, and satisfy the employer’s hiring standards.
Does the Clearinghouse Report to the DMV?
State Driver Licensing Agencies, which may be called a DMV, BMV, MVD, or another name, access and use Clearinghouse status information for commercial licensing decisions.
As of November 18, 2024, States must remove commercial driving privileges from a driver whose Clearinghouse status is prohibited. State agencies must also query the Clearinghouse for covered CDL and CLP issuance, renewal, transfer, duplication, and upgrade transactions.
A prohibited status may therefore result in:
- CDL or CLP downgrade.
- Denial of a new commercial license or permit.
- Denial of renewal, transfer, or upgrade.
- Removal of the commercial privilege while the underlying noncommercial license remains in effect, subject to State procedure.
After a qualifying negative return-to-duty result is reported and the status changes to not prohibited, the driver may still need to complete the State’s reinstatement process and pay applicable State fees.
Drivers should follow the instructions provided by their State Driver Licensing Agency and review FMCSA’s Clearinghouse II CDL downgrade guidance.
What Happens After a Drug or Alcohol Violation?
A covered driver must be removed from safety-sensitive functions and complete the return-to-duty process before becoming eligible to resume those functions.
| Stage | Responsible party | Effect on the driver |
|---|---|---|
| Violation reported | Employer, MRO, or designated C/TPA | The driver becomes prohibited from safety-sensitive work. |
| SAP selected | Driver | The driver chooses a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional. |
| Initial SAP assessment | SAP | The SAP evaluates the driver and prescribes education, treatment, or both. |
| Education or treatment completed | Driver and appropriate provider | The driver completes the SAP’s recommendations. |
| Follow-up SAP evaluation | SAP | The SAP determines whether the driver has complied and is eligible for return-to-duty testing. |
| Return-to-duty test | Employer or designated C/TPA | The driver must obtain the required negative drug-test result or alcohol result below 0.02. |
| Negative RTD result reported | Employer or designated C/TPA | The driver’s Clearinghouse status changes to not prohibited. |
| Follow-up testing plan | Employer or designated C/TPA | The driver completes the unannounced tests prescribed by the SAP. |
| Follow-up plan completion reported | Employer or designated C/TPA | The Clearinghouse record reflects successful completion of the plan. |
The follow-up plan must include at least six unannounced tests during the first 12 months after the driver returns to safety-sensitive duty. The SAP may prescribe follow-up testing for up to 60 months.
Does the driver need a new DOT physical after a violation?
Not automatically. The DOT physical and the DOT drug and alcohol return-to-duty process are separate.
A new DOT physical is needed only when the driver’s Medical Examiner’s Certificate has expired, a medical examiner requires reevaluation, or another medical-certification rule applies.
What if the driver does not have an employer?
An unemployed driver can complete the SAP evaluation, prescribed education or treatment, and SAP follow-up evaluation. However, a current or prospective employer must arrange the official return-to-duty test. An owner-operator uses a designated C/TPA for the employer functions.
Review TeamCME’s resource for drivers who have completed the SAP process but do not have an employer.
How Long Does a Failed Drug Test Stay in the Clearinghouse?
A violation generally remains in the Clearinghouse for five years from the violation date or until the driver successfully completes the prescribed follow-up testing plan, whichever is later.
This means:
- A record may remain longer than five years when the follow-up plan has not been completed.
- The driver may become not prohibited before the record disappears.
- A negative return-to-duty test changes eligibility status but does not erase the violation.
- Periods without safety-sensitive employment can delay completion of the follow-up plan.
- Changing employers does not reset or eliminate the follow-up testing requirement.
How Can a Driver Correct Inaccurate Clearinghouse Information?
A driver who believes information is factually inaccurate should first identify the reporting party and the specific error. Drivers should not assume that filing a dispute changes prohibited status or permits safety-sensitive work.
- Review the Clearinghouse record.Confirm the violation type, reporting party, date, status, and return-to-duty milestones.
- Gather supporting records.Keep test forms, employer notices, collection documents, MRO communications, SAP records, identity documents, and relevant correspondence.
- Contact the reporting party.An employer, MRO, SAP, or C/TPA may be able to correct an entry it submitted incorrectly.
- Use DataQs when appropriate.FMCSA’s DataQs system accepts requests for data review concerning certain Clearinghouse records and reporting procedures.
- Use the Privacy Act correction process when applicable.A driver may request correction of certain inaccurate federal records and may have the option to add a concise statement of disagreement after an unsuccessful request.
- Continue complying with current status.A pending correction request does not automatically suspend the prohibition. The driver must not perform safety-sensitive work unless the status permits it.
Drivers can review FMCSA’s instructions for submitting a Clearinghouse DataQs petition.
Common Clearinghouse Scenarios
A limited query returns “record found”
The employer does not yet know whether the driver is prohibited. The employer must obtain the driver’s electronic consent and complete a full query within 24 hours.
The driver refuses electronic consent
The employer cannot complete the required full query and cannot allow the driver to perform safety-sensitive functions for that employer. Refusing consent is not itself a positive drug test or Clearinghouse violation.
The driver has completed a negative return-to-duty test
Once the employer reports the negative result, the driver can become not prohibited. The follow-up testing plan still applies and the violation remains visible for the required period.
A driver’s CDL is downgraded
The driver should review the Clearinghouse status, complete any remaining return-to-duty steps, and follow the State licensing agency’s reinstatement instructions after becoming not prohibited.
The driver used State-authorized medical marijuana
State authorization does not excuse a DOT marijuana-positive result. Marijuana remains prohibited for DOT-regulated safety-sensitive work.
The driver failed a non-DOT company test
A non-DOT test is not automatically reported to the Clearinghouse. However, separate employer policies, actual-knowledge rules, or other facts may affect the outcome.
What Should CDL Drivers Do Next?
- Register in the Clearinghouse before applying for a covered driving position that will require full-query consent.
- Review your record and confirm that your CDL or CLP information is accurate.
- Respond promptly to legitimate employer consent requests.
- Do not assume that “record found” means you are prohibited; review the full-query result.
- If prohibited, stop performing safety-sensitive work and select a DOT-qualified SAP.
- Complete every SAP, treatment, education, testing, and reporting step in the required order.
- Confirm that the employer reports the negative return-to-duty result.
- Contact the State Driver Licensing Agency about CDL reinstatement requirements.
- Keep copies of your SAP, testing, employer, Clearinghouse, and State licensing records.
- Challenge factual errors promptly without assuming the challenge suspends the prohibition.
Common Misconceptions About the Clearinghouse
“The Clearinghouse performs DOT drug tests.”
False. It stores specified violation and return-to-duty information. Testing occurs through separate collection, laboratory, MRO, alcohol-testing, and employer processes.
“Every CDL holder must register immediately.”
False. Registration is not universally required merely to hold a CDL. It is needed to view a record, provide electronic full-query consent, and use certain Clearinghouse functions.
“A limited query tells the employer exactly what happened.”
False. A limited query only indicates whether information exists. A full query is needed for the details and final status.
“Not prohibited means the violation has disappeared.”
False. The violation remains for the applicable retention period, and follow-up testing may continue.
“Completing the SAP interview is enough to return to driving.”
False. The driver must complete the SAP recommendations, follow-up evaluation, employer-arranged return-to-duty test, and State reinstatement procedures when applicable.
“The driver must get a new DOT physical after every violation.”
False. Medical certification is separate from the drug and alcohol return-to-duty process.
“The Clearinghouse replaces the entire driver background investigation.”
False. It satisfies the applicable previous drug and alcohol violation inquiry, but other safety-performance and qualification investigations remain.
Related TeamCME Resources
- TeamCME Driver Resources
- DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing for CDL Drivers
- Completed the SAP Process but Have No Employer?
- DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Requirements for Employers
- DOT Random Drug and Alcohol Testing: Employer’s Guide
- DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Mistakes Employers Must Avoid
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure federal database containing specified drug and alcohol program violations and return-to-duty information for covered CDL and CLP holders. Employers use queries to determine whether a driver is prohibited from performing safety-sensitive work.
Does the Clearinghouse conduct drug tests?
No. The Clearinghouse does not collect specimens or perform testing. It stores reportable violations and return-to-duty information produced through the DOT testing process.
Who is covered by the FMCSA Clearinghouse?
The Clearinghouse generally covers CDL and CLP holders who are subject to FMCSA’s drug and alcohol testing requirements in 49 CFR Part 382. Coverage depends on the driver’s license requirement, vehicle, operation, employer, and applicable exemptions.
Do CDL drivers have to register for the Clearinghouse?
Drivers are not required to register merely to hold a CDL. Registration is required to view a Clearinghouse record, provide electronic consent for a full employer query, select a SAP in the system, and use certain record-review or return-to-duty functions.
What is a Clearinghouse violation?
A Clearinghouse violation is a reportable FMCSA drug or alcohol program violation, such as a verified positive, adulterated, or substituted drug result, an alcohol confirmation result of 0.04 or higher, a test refusal, or an employer’s actual knowledge of prohibited drug or alcohol conduct.
What does “driver not prohibited” mean?
Driver not prohibited means that the Clearinghouse does not currently prevent the driver from performing FMCSA-regulated safety-sensitive functions. The violation may remain visible, follow-up testing may continue, and the driver must still meet licensing, medical, qualification, and employer requirements.
Does the Clearinghouse report to the DMV?
State Driver Licensing Agencies access Clearinghouse status information. Since November 18, 2024, States must remove or deny commercial driving privileges when a driver has a prohibited status, subject to the State’s licensing procedures.
How long does a failed drug test stay in the Clearinghouse?
A violation generally remains in the Clearinghouse for five years from the violation date or until the driver successfully completes the prescribed follow-up testing plan, whichever is later. The driver may become not prohibited before the record is removed.
What is the difference between a limited and full Clearinghouse query?
A limited query only indicates whether information exists in the driver’s record. A full query reveals detailed resolved and unresolved violation information and the driver’s status. Pre-employment queries must be full queries.
Can incorrect Clearinghouse information be corrected?
Yes. A reporting employer, MRO, SAP, or C/TPA may correct information it entered incorrectly. Drivers may also use applicable FMCSA DataQs or Privacy Act procedures. A correction request does not automatically suspend a prohibited status.
Educational and Regulatory Disclaimer
This resource provides general educational information about the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. It does not determine whether a specific test, refusal, employer report, licensing action, or Clearinghouse entry is valid and does not provide individualized legal or employment advice. Federal rules, State procedures, employer policies, and individual facts may differ. Consult FMCSA, the appropriate State Driver Licensing Agency, a DOT-qualified SAP, the employer’s designated representative, or a qualified attorney when case-specific guidance is needed.