Who is Required to Register?
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse became active January 6, 2020. This secure, online database will give employers and other authorized users real-time information about commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders’ drug and alcohol program violations. The following are required to register in the FMCSA Clearinghouse:
Staying in Compliance
Employers with CDL and CLP drivers must conduct an annual query of all drivers they employ. This requirement is tracked on a rolling 12-month basis. The one-year requirement resets each time a query is conducted on the driver. For example, if a query is conducted for a driver on October 1, 2020, it is not required again until October 2, 2021 to meet the requirement. After the launch of the Clearinghouse on January 6, 2020, employers had until January 6, 2021 to conduct their first annual query.
A limited query satisfies the annual query to meet the requirement. Employers must obtain and store a paper consent from drivers before conducting limited queries in the Clearinghouse. You can download a sample limited query consent form here.
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