FMCSA Clearinghouse Registration for Drivers
The FMCSA Clearinghouse is a secure database developed to help identify CDL drivers who have violated terms of the DOT’s alcohol and drug testing program. Additionally, the FMCSA Clearinghouse contains information regarding whether commercial drivers have completed the DOT’s return-to-duty process.
Established in 2012 as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, the FMCSA Clearinghouse recently enacted new guidelines. Safety-sensitive employers and CDL drivers must register with the FMCSA Clearinghouse and abide by two obligations: driver “Queries” and “Reporting”.
NEW–Employer Reporting and Registration Obligations
Covered employers must now submit the following information to the FMCSA Clearinghouse within three business days of obtaining results:
- CDL holders who refuse to complete FMCSA drug and/or alcohol tests
- CDL holders with FMCSA drug test results that have been substituted or adulterated
- Alcohol tests with concentrations of 0.04 or over for CDL drivers
Query Requirements
Another new FMCSA Clearinghouse rule involves employers who want to make queries about employees and applicants. The FMCSA Clearinghouse has set a flat rate and bundle option for high-volume users for performing either limited or full queries.
How Do Commercial Drivers Register with FMCSA Clearinghouse?
Commercial vehicle drivers must register before they are able to respond to consent requests submitted by a prospective employer. Additionally, unregistered drivers will not have access to their Clearinghouse records to review and initiate revisions or removal of incorrect information.
Drivers eligible to register must hold a commercial learner’s permit or a commercial driver’s license. More information about how to register can be found here.
SAP Referral Services Assists Drivers in Identifying DOT Qualified SAPs
When CDL holders fail or refuse to take drug and/or alcohol tests, SAP Referral Services helps streamline the return-to-duty process. Our goal is to support employees and quickly connect them with a DOT qualified SAP (Substance Abuse Professional) for evaluation. The SAP develops a program for the employee to complete in order to be considered for their return to safety-sensitive duties. With thousands of qualified providers available across the country, we can usually schedule an assessment with a SAP within three business day of receiving your call and assure your compliance information is documented into the Clearinghouse.
If you are a DOT-mandated, safety-sensitive employee who has recently failed a drug and/or alcohol test, and are looking for a SAP provider near you, click here to learn more about SAP Referral Services’ FastTrack Enrollment Program.
SAP Referral Services (SRS) is the leading facilitator for mandated substance abuse evaluations. SRS maintains an extensive network of qualified providers in more than 3,000 locations nationwide for testing violations that originate from any of the DOT’s modes including FMCSA, FAA, FRA, FTA, USCG and PHMSA, or a company’s internal drug and alcohol testing policy.