Compliance Portal

Clearinghouse Services

$ Payment

  • The FMCSA manages the DOT Clearinghouse, which is a centralized online database for Commercial Driver's License (CDL) holders that tracks drug and alcohol program violations and return-to-duty (RTD) status. It assists employers and authorities in identifying prohibited drivers, ensuring that they complete mandatory evaluations and treatment prior to running Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs), and may result in CDL downgrades for noncompliance.

    • Mandatory Requirement: 

    Employers must conduct annual limited queries for their CDL drivers to comply with FMCSA regulations. 

    • Exclusive Source: 

    The Clearinghouse is the sole platform for employers to find information on driver drug and alcohol violations for prospective drivers. 

    • Annual Queries: 

    You must run a query for each employee at least once within a rolling 12-month period. 

    • Driver Consent: 

    Drivers must provide consent before a limited query (general) and a separate consent for a full query (detailed information).

  • Guidance: 

    Section 382.703(a) states “No employer may query the Clearinghouse to determine whether a record exists for any particular driver without first obtaining that driver’s written or electronic consent.” The type of consent required depends on the type of query.

    For a limited query, a general consent is required. This is obtained outside the Clearinghouse. Employers may obtain a multi-year general consent from the driver for limited queries. A sample limited consent form from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is available.

    For a full query, the driver must provide specific consent to the employer prior to each full query. This consent must be provided electronically within the Clearinghouse.

  • The Clearinghouse final rule requires that employers conduct queries:

    • As part of any pre-employment driver investigation.

    • At least annually for every CDL driver currently employed.

    Failure to conduct required queries can result in fines of up to $2,500 per violation. 

    How to Conduct a Query: 

    Log in to your FMCSA Clearinghouse account, access your dashboard, and go to the Queries section to conduct a query. 

  • A query is an electronic check in the Clearinghouse, conducted by an employer or their designated C/TPA, to determine if current or prospective employees are prohibited from performing safety-sensitive functions, such as operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), due to unresolved drug and alcohol program violations.

    There are two types of queries, limited queries (which satisfy the annual query requirement) and full queries (which include all pre-employment queries). All queries require driver consent; the type of consent depends on the query type.

  • Limited queries check for the presence of information in the queried driver’s Clearinghouse record. Driver consent is obtained outside the Clearinghouse. 

    (Sample Limited Query consent CLICK HERE)

  • Full queries will disclose to employers and C/TPAs detailed information about any resolved or unresolved violations in a driver’s Clearinghouse record. The driver’s specific electronic consent in the Clearinghouse is required.

  • Employers are charged a fee for conducting queries in the Clearinghouse.

    Employers must purchase a query plan to ensure they and their designated C/TPAs can conduct queries. C/TPAs cannot purchase queries on behalf of employers.

    The fee for conducting queries in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is a set amount of $1.25 each query, whether limited or full, with no additional charges for registration or other activities. Employers can purchase these inquiries in bundles to meet their needs by visiting the official Clearinghouse website at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/query/plan

    Note: Working with a C/TPA to manage a drug and alcohol testing program is a requirement of all owner-operators (employers who employ themselves as CDL drivers, typically a single-driver operation).

    • Go over the specifics and what the management includes

    • If wanting to move forward, begin filling out form.

    • Once form is completed collect payment (read refund policy)

    • Once payment goes through, go over the steps to designate C/TPA (step by step process for employers)

    • Let the client know they will also be receiving an email with the same instructions on how to designate you as their C/TPA and if they have any other questions to feel free to reply back to the email.

    1. Contact Your C/TPA First: Before you start, reach out to your C/TPA to let them know you'll be sending a designation request through the Clearinghouse.

    2. Log In to the Clearinghouse: Go to the official FMCSA Clearinghouse website (clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov) and log in with your Login.gov credentials.

    3. Access Your Dashboard: Once logged in, find and click on "My Dashboard" in the menu.

    4. Navigate to C/TPA Management: Under "My Dashboard," select "Manage," then click on "C/TPAs".

    5. Initiate Designation: You'll see options to manage your C/TPAs; follow the prompts to send a designation request to your chosen C/TPA.

    6. C/TPA Accepts: The C/TPA must then log into their own account and formally accept the designation before they can perform any functions (like queries or reporting) on your behalf. 

    Key Things to Remember:

    • C/TPA Registration: The C/TPA must already be registered in the Clearinghouse before you can designate them.

    • Employer Responsibility: You must designate them for them to act for you; they cannot perform these tasks without your authorization within the system.

    • Owner-Operators: If you're an owner-operator, you must designate your C/TPA as part of your initial Clearinghouse registration. 

C/TPA Clearinghouse Dashoard

If a limited query returns a result that there is information recorded in the Clearinghouse about the queried driver, and the employer follows up with a full query to access the detailed violation information, the employer will only be charged once for both queries.

How To Conduct Queries

Limited Query ($1.50)
Full Query ($1.50)
How to report a Violation
Report Negative Return to Duty

  • This will be the one less thing you have to worry about while you're preoccupied with everything else related to your business.

    You also reduce the stress of having to pay any hefty fines if you don’t comply.

    Why Employers Use C/TPAs:

    We will be handling the following

    • Running Queries: Conducting background checks on prospective and current CDL drivers for pre-employment and annually to ensure they aren't prohibited from safety-sensitive functions.

    • Reporting Violations: Reporting positive drug/alcohol tests, refusals to test, and instances of "actual knowledge" of a violation to the Clearinghouse.

    • Managing Return-to-Duty (RTD) Process: Reporting negative RTD test results, which allows a driver to return to performing safety-sensitive functions.

    • Recordkeeping: Maintaining detailed records of the drug and alcohol testing program.

    • Program Management: Overseeing the employer's entire DOT drug and alcohol testing program, including random testing and policy education. 

Clearinghouse Management

$39

/Yr