FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse

The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is a centralized federal database (effective January 6, 2020) that tracks CDL drivers' drug and alcohol program violations. Carriers must query the Clearinghouse before hiring a driver (full query) and at least annually for current drivers (limited query).

Violations stay in the database until the driver completes the return-to-duty (RTD) process with a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) and passes a return-to-duty test.

Failing to query the Clearinghouse — or hiring a driver with a current prohibited status — is a major audit finding and can result in significant fines and out-of-service designations.