What Is It?
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It was established under 49 CFR Part 382 and became mandatory on January 6, 2020.
The Clearinghouse collects and stores records of drug and alcohol program violations committed by CDL drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. Every employer who hires CDL drivers must query it — before hire and annually — and every violation must be reported to it.
Not the same as your MVR
The Clearinghouse tracks drug and alcohol test violations only. It is separate from your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR), which shows license suspensions and driving history. An employer must check both before hiring a CDL driver.
Who must register
Motor Carriers & Employers
All employers subject to FMCSA drug and alcohol testing regulations must register and run pre-employment and annual queries for every CDL driver they employ.
CDL Drivers
CDL drivers must register to provide electronic consent for full queries and to view their own Clearinghouse record at any time.
Consortia & Third-Party Administrators
C/TPAs that manage drug and alcohol testing programs on behalf of employers must register and can run queries and report violations as authorized by their employer clients.
Medical Review Officers & SAPs
MROs must report verified positive results, adulterated, and substituted specimens. SAPs report completion of the return-to-duty process.
What Gets Reported
Violations Recorded in the Clearinghouse
The following events must be reported to the Clearinghouse by the responsible party — employer, MRO, or SAP.
Positive Drug Test Result
Any drug test verified positive by an MRO for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, or PCP — reported by the MRO.
Alcohol Concentration 0.04 or Higher
Any alcohol test result at or above 0.04 BAC — reported by the employer.
Refusal to Test
A driver who refuses a required drug or alcohol test — including no-show, adulterated specimen, or refusing a direct observation collection — reported by the employer or C/TPA.
Actual Knowledge
An employer who directly observes a driver using or under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on duty must report this as an actual knowledge violation.
Return-to-duty completion is also reported
When a driver successfully completes the return-to-duty (RTD) process — including evaluation by a SAP and a negative RTD drug test — the SAP reports completion to the Clearinghouse. This does not remove the original violation but marks the RTD process as complete.
For Employers
Employer Query Requirements
Employers must run two types of Clearinghouse queries:
Pre-employment full query
Before a CDL driver performs any safety-sensitive function, the employer must run a full query. This requires the driver's electronic consent via the Clearinghouse. If the query returns a violation with no completed RTD process, the driver cannot be hired for safety-sensitive duties.
Annual limited query
Every year, employers must run a limited query for each current CDL driver. A limited query does not require the driver's consent each time, but the driver must have previously provided general consent. If the limited query returns results, the employer must upgrade to a full query within 24 hours.
Register at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov
Both the employer and driver must have accounts. Employers also need their USDOT number.
Driver provides electronic consent
For a full query, the driver logs into their Clearinghouse account and approves the specific employer's query request.
Run the query
Employer initiates the query from their Clearinghouse dashboard. Results are returned instantly.
Document the result
Keep a record of every query result. FMCSA audits can request query history as part of a compliance review.
Failure to query before hire is a violation
An employer who allows a CDL driver to perform safety-sensitive functions without a pre-employment Clearinghouse query is in violation of 49 CFR Part 382 and subject to FMCSA civil penalties.
For Drivers
What CDL Drivers Need to Know
If you have a violation recorded in the Clearinghouse, you cannot operate a CMV in safety-sensitive functions until you complete the return-to-duty (RTD) process. This involves:
Evaluation by a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)
You must be evaluated by an FMCSA-qualified SAP before any return-to-duty steps can begin.
Complete prescribed education or treatment
The SAP recommends a program. You must complete it before being eligible for a return-to-duty test.
Pass a return-to-duty drug or alcohol test
You must produce a negative RTD test result under direct observation before returning to safety-sensitive duties.
Follow-up testing program
After returning to duty, you are subject to unannounced follow-up testing for a minimum of 12 months (up to 5 years) as directed by your SAP.
Violations remain in the Clearinghouse for five years from the violation date, or until you complete the RTD process — whichever is later. After that, they are archived and no longer visible to employers in standard queries.
Check your own Clearinghouse record
You can view your own record at any time by logging into clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov with your Login.gov credentials. You are entitled to one free query of your own record per year.
Frequently Asked Questions