What is the FMCSA Clearinghouse? A status check with deadlines
Since January 6, 2020, drug and alcohol program violations by CDL and CLP holders have one place to land. What matters for your operation is the short list of checks and reports the rules tie to it.
Written by Inely Baez
The Clearinghouse in numbers
The FMCSA Clearinghouse is the federal online database of drug and alcohol program violations by CDL and CLP holders. Employers must run a full query before a driver's first safety-sensitive work, query every driver at least once a year, and report violations. A driver in "prohibited" status cannot drive a CMV.
Most carriers meet the Clearinghouse when they hire a driver, then have to remember it once a year for every driver after that. The rule itself is short. The work is in the dates.
I lead operations at Simplex, and I look at the Clearinghouse the way I look at any compliance system: a few required events, each with a deadline and an owner. This guide covers what the database holds, who uses it, the two query types, what must be reported, and what a "prohibited" status now does to a CDL.
The full briefing, read aloud
7 chapters. Select one to jump to it.
Generated with AI text-to-speech from this article's key insights, in order, rather than reading it word for word. Chapter times come from a transcript of the audio. The article itself was written and reviewed by Inely Baez.
Key takeaways
It holds violations, not every test
Positive and adulterated drug tests, alcohol results of 0.04 or higher, refusals, and actual-knowledge reports, plus the driver's return-to-duty progress.
A full query comes before the first dispatch
Every pre-employment query is a full query, and the driver must consent electronically inside the Clearinghouse.
Every driver gets queried each year
A limited query satisfies the annual check. If it finds information, run a full query within 24 hours or take the driver off safety-sensitive work.
Reports run on business days
Employers report by the close of the third business day; medical review officers report verified results within two business days.
Prohibited status now costs the CDL
Since November 18, 2024, states must downgrade a prohibited driver's CDL or CLP within 60 days of being notified.
Owner-operators need a C/TPA
A driver who employs himself or herself must designate a consortium/third-party administrator to report their own violations.
In this articleContents
What is the FMCSA Clearinghouse?
The FMCSA Clearinghouse is a secure online database that gives employers, FMCSA, state driver licensing agencies, and state law enforcement real-time information about drug and alcohol program violations by CDL and CLP holders. In trucking, it is the place a carrier checks before letting a driver behind the wheel.
FMCSA describes its job as identifying drivers who commit a violation while working for one employer but fail to tell the next one. It went live on January 6, 2020, and holds only violations from that date forward.
It covers drivers subject to CDL licensing and the testing rules in 49 CFR Part 382. Employers of drivers who don't need a CDL don't query or report, though they still check drug and alcohol history with previous employers.
What goes into a driver's record?
Each type of record has its own reporter and its own deadline, set by 49 CFR 382.705.
| What is recorded | Who reports it | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Verified positive, adulterated, or substituted drug test; refusals the MRO determines | Medical review officer (MRO) | 2 business days after the determination |
| Alcohol test of 0.04 or higher; other refusals; actual knowledge of use | Employer or its C/TPA | Close of the 3rd business day |
| Date of the initial assessment; eligibility for return-to-duty testing | Substance abuse professional (SAP) | Close of the next business day |
| Negative return-to-duty test; completed follow-up testing | Employer or its C/TPA | Close of the 3rd business day |
"Actual knowledge" means the employer directly observed the use, learned of it from a previous employer, heard the driver admit it, or knows the driver got a citation for driving a CMV under the influence.
Who has to use the Clearinghouse?
Employers of CDL drivers, consortia/third-party administrators (C/TPAs), MROs, and SAPs must register before they query or report. That includes intrastate carriers and fleets that run school buses, municipal vehicles, or construction equipment.
Drivers don't have to register in general. In practice they need an account, because a driver must be registered to give consent for a full query, which includes every pre-employment query, and to view their own record at no cost.
What owner-operators have to do
An owner-operator is both employer and driver, so both sets of rules apply. Under 382.705(b)(6), they must designate a C/TPA to report their own violations. The C/TPA can also run queries for them, but only the employer can buy the query plan.
Owner-operators also need a random testing pool of two or more covered drivers, which is why Simplex runs a drug and alcohol consortium for owner-operators.
Keeping your registration active
Registration lasts five years, but FMCSA cancels it for anyone who hasn't queried or reported in two years, under 49 CFR 382.713. Employers must also confirm their authorized users every year and update a C/TPA change within 10 days.
Since April 27, 2026, new registrations for employers without an FMCSA Portal account, C/TPAs, MROs, SAPs, and their assistants require identity verification with a government ID and a selfie.
Which Clearinghouse queries do employers have to run?
Employers run two kinds of queries: a full query before a driver's first safety-sensitive work, and at least one query a year for every driver they employ, under 49 CFR 382.701.
| Query | Driver consent | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Full query | Specific electronic consent inside the Clearinghouse, for each query | Every pre-employment query, and any follow-up to a limited query that finds information |
| Limited query | General consent obtained outside the Clearinghouse; can cover more than one year | The annual query of current drivers |
A limited query only tells you whether the record has information. If it does, you must run a full query within 24 hours, or keep the driver off safety-sensitive work until a full query shows no prohibition. A driver who refuses consent can't perform safety-sensitive functions for you.
What queries cost and how the year is counted
Queries cost a flat $1.25 each, limited or full, bought as a query plan that never expires. A limited query followed by a full query on the same driver is charged once.
The annual query runs on a rolling 365 days from your last query of that driver. Keep each driver's consent for three years after the last query; the Clearinghouse keeps your query history, so a valid registration covers the query records themselves.
The pre-employment full query also replaces the drug and alcohol check with previous FMCSA-regulated employers. Where it fits in the hiring order is covered in our truck driver onboarding guide.
When FMCSA tells you something changed
If new information lands in a driver's record within 12 months of your pre-employment or annual query, FMCSA emails you. Its guidance is to run a full follow-on query within 24 hours, and to keep the driver off safety-sensitive work if they refuse consent.
What does "prohibited" status mean for a driver?
A driver with an unresolved violation is "prohibited": no employer may let them perform any safety-sensitive function, including driving a CMV. The status changes to "not prohibited" when the driver completes the SAP evaluation and education or treatment and has a negative return-to-duty test.
The SAP program sets those steps, followed by a follow-up testing plan run by the employer. As of February 1, 2026, FMCSA counted 210,007 drivers in prohibited status, and 79.5% of them had not started the return-to-duty process.
How a prohibited status affects the CDL
Since November 18, 2024, state licensing agencies must query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring a CDL, under 49 CFR 383.73. When told a driver is prohibited, the state must remove the CDL or CLP privilege within 60 days.
A driver who finishes return-to-duty before the downgrade is complete keeps the CDL. After a downgrade, the state makes the driver eligible for reinstatement once the status clears, if state law allows.
How long a violation stays visible
Employers can see a violation until four things are true: the SAP has reported, the employer has reported a negative return-to-duty test, all follow-up tests are complete, and five years have passed since the violation. Whichever comes last controls.
Drivers can petition FMCSA under 382.717 to fix administrative errors, such as a data entry mistake or a duplicate report, but not to contest a test result or refusal. FMCSA decides within 45 days, or 14 days when expedited.
How to run Clearinghouse compliance as a system
Each step turns one requirement into a routine with an owner and a date.
Step 1: Register and name your users
Register the company, designate your C/TPA if you use one, and review the list of authorized users once a year. Put the two-year inactivity cancellation on the same calendar.
Step 2: Buy queries and collect consent at hire
Keep enough queries in your plan for every new hire and every current driver. Collect a multi-year limited consent in the hiring packet, with the timeframe stated, and file it for three years.
Step 3: Run the full query before the first dispatch
Ask the driver to register early, so consent doesn't hold up the start date. No full query, no keys.
Step 4: Calendar each driver's annual query
Track the date of each driver's last query and run the next one inside 365 days. Larger fleets can submit a bulk upload file instead of entering drivers one by one.
Step 5: Act on notifications within 24 hours
Route FMCSA's emails to someone who can request consent and run a full query the same day.
Step 6: Report on time, with documentation
Report within three business days, with the records the rule requires, such as proof of when a no-show driver was told to report for a test. The timing rules behind a refusal are in our guide to DOT random drug testing time limits. Violations of the Clearinghouse rules carry civil penalties of up to $7,155 under Appendix B to Part 386.
How Simplex helps you stay current with the Clearinghouse
Queries, consents, and reports all run on dates. We help you keep them.
A consortium for owner-operators
Our drug screen compliance program includes a consortium for random drug and alcohol testing for owner-operators.
Testing for new and current drivers
Our substance abuse testing team helps arrange pre-employment tests and works out how many random tests you need each year.
A program that keeps checking
Our compliance programs include driver qualification file management, CSA monitoring, and mock audits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Clearinghouse in trucking?+
Do CDL drivers have to register for the Clearinghouse?+
How much does a Clearinghouse query cost?+
How long does a violation stay in the Clearinghouse?+
Can a Clearinghouse violation cost a driver their CDL?+
How do I contact the FMCSA Clearinghouse?+
Where this information comes from
The requirements below come from federal regulation and FMCSA's Clearinghouse guidance and data, checked on September 24, 2026.
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1
eCFR — 49 CFR 382.701
Pre-employment and annual queries, the 24-hour full query, and the prohibition.
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2
eCFR — 49 CFR 382.703
Driver consent for limited and full queries.
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3
eCFR — 49 CFR 382.705
What MROs, employers, C/TPAs, and SAPs report, and by when.
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4
eCFR — 49 CFR 382.719
When a violation stops being visible to employers.
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5
eCFR — 49 CFR 383.73
State queries at licensing and the 60-day CDL downgrade.
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6
FMCSA Clearinghouse — Queries and Consent FAQs
Driver registration, the rolling annual query, notifications, and owner-operator queries.
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7
FMCSA Clearinghouse — Query Plans
The $1.25 per-query rate and the single charge for a limited-then-full query.
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8
FMCSA Clearinghouse — January 2026 Monthly Report
Drivers in prohibited status and return-to-duty progress as of February 1, 2026.
Written by
Inely Baez
Chief Operating Officer, Simplex Group
Chief Operating Officer at Simplex Group, with nearly eight years at the company leading operational strategy and execution across compliance, technology, logistics, and performance systems. She is a Certified Public Accountant with a background spanning operations and finance, including leadership roles within Simplex's Freight 4 U division and Velox Transport Solutions. Her work focuses on building scalable, disciplined systems that support long-term performance and growth.
Published · Updated
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The Clearinghouse rewards carriers who keep a calendar
Two queries, a few reports, and a status that decides who can drive. None of it is hard, and all of it runs on dates.
If you want help setting up your queries, consents, and testing program, talk to our team.