Reminder for SAPS: Register to Receive Driver Designation Requests

Before you can record information about a driver’s return-to-duty (RTD) process in the Clearinghouse (as required per § 382.705(d)), the driver must designate you as his/her substance abuse professional (SAP). You must be registered in the Clearinghouse to receive and respond to this designation request. If you have not done so, register today to make sure your clients can send you this request.

Accepting Driver Designations

When a SAP receives a designation request from a driver, a notification will appear in the SAP’s Dashboard. SAPs can also review all pending requests in their Driver List (under My Dashboard).

Note: Drivers are instructed to make  contact with their SAP before designating him/her in the Clearinghouse. If you receive a designation request from a driver you do not know, we encourage you to contact the driver before responding to the request. The driver’s contact information will be displayed in your Driver List.

If a driver wishes to designate you as his or her SAP, but does not see the option to designate a SAP in his/her Driver Dashboard, this may be because the driver has not yet added and verified his/her CDL information in his/her Clearinghouse profile. If the driver has correctly verified his/her CDL information, the violation may have been entered in the Clearinghouse with the incorrect CDL information, in which case it would need to be re-entered by the medical review officer (MRO) or employer.

Reporting to the Clearinghouse: SAP Dos and Don’ts

Per § 382.705(d), a SAP must report the following information about a driver’s RTD process to the Clearinghouse: (1) the date of the initial SAP assessment, and (2) the date the SAP determines that the driver is eligible for RTD testing, due to completion of the education/treatment plan.

RTD information must be reported to the Clearinghouse in the order outlined in the Clearinghouse rule to be properly recorded. Learn more about the RTD process

SAPs do not upload the education/treatment plan, reports, or any other information to the Clearinghouse. This information must be provided to the driver’s employer outside the Clearinghouse, using the same means as before January 6, 2020.

SAPs may not access a driver’s violation information in the Clearinghouse.

Subscribe to ODAPC Updates

Per § 40.281(b)(3), a SAP must subscribe to receive email updates from the USDOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC). Subscribing will help you keep current on any changes to DOT SAP Guidelines. If you are not receiving these updates, subscribe today.