FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse: what a new carrier has to do
Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 6, 2026
Every employer must register before it can query or report. [3]
Every employer of CDL drivers must register with the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before it can check or report information there. If you're an owner-operator, you count as both the employer and the driver, so you have to meet both sets of rules. [1][3][4]
On this page
Register as an employer
Every employer must register with the Clearinghouse before it can query or report information there. [3]
Owner-operators: designate a C/TPA
If you drive for your own company, you must designate a consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA) to handle Clearinghouse reporting about your own drug and alcohol use. The Clearinghouse says you can't take any action in the system until you've done this. [6][7]
Buy a query plan
All employers of CDL drivers must buy a query plan in the Clearinghouse. Queries cost $1.25 each. Your C/TPA can't buy them for you. [1]
Run a full pre-employment query
Before a new driver performs any safety-sensitive function, run a full query. The driver has to give specific consent for it. [2]
Query every driver at least once a year
Query the Clearinghouse at least once a year for every driver subject to drug and alcohol testing, A limited query meets this requirement. [2]
Clearinghouse queries: full and limited
There are two kinds of query. A full query releases the driver's Clearinghouse information to you, and the driver must give specific consent for it. A limited query only tells you whether information exists, not what it is. The driver's consent for limited queries can cover more than one year.
If a limited query shows the driver has information on file, you must run a full query within 24 hours. Until a full query shows no prohibition, the driver can't perform safety-sensitive functions.
| Query | When it's used | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Full | Pre-employment, before a driver's first safety-sensitive work | The driver's Clearinghouse information |
| Limited | Annual check (at least once a year per driver) | Only whether information exists |
Sources: [2]
What queries cost
Queries are a flat $1.25 each, the same for limited and full queries. If a limited query turns up a record and you follow it with a full query, you're charged only once for both. [1]
Driver consent
You can't query a driver without the driver's written or electronic consent. Keep the consent for 3 years from the last query. A driver who refuses to give the required consent may not perform safety-sensitive functions. [5]
Owner-operators and their C/TPA
An owner-operator must designate a C/TPA to meet the employer reporting duties about his or her own drug and alcohol use. FMCSA's Clearinghouse says you can't take any action in the system until that designation is in place. If you change C/TPAs or their authorizations, update the Clearinghouse within 10 days. [3][6][7]
Reporting violations
Employers, or their C/TPA, must report certain violations, such as alcohol results of 0.04 or higher and refusals to test, by the close of the third business day after learning of them.
If a violation is added to a driver's record within 30 days after you queried that driver, FMCSA notifies you. [2][3][6]
State CDL downgrades for prohibited drivers
Since November 18, 2024, states must check the Clearinghouse and refuse to issue, renew, transfer or upgrade a CDL for a driver who is prohibited from driving. When FMCSA tells a state that a CLP or CDL holder is prohibited, the state must remove the CLP/CDL privilege from the license and complete that downgrade within 60 days.
The rule behind this is FMCSA's October 7, 2021 final rule (86 FR 55718). The license stays downgraded until the driver completes the return-to-duty requirements. [8][9]
Keeping records
Employers must keep a record of each query for 3 years. An employer with a valid Clearinghouse registration meets this requirement. [2]
Common questions
How much does a Clearinghouse query cost?
$1.25 per query, the same for limited and full queries. Every employer of CDL drivers has to buy a query plan in the Clearinghouse. [1]
I'm an owner-operator. Do I have to query myself?
An owner-operator has to meet both the employer and the driver rules. Employers must query the Clearinghouse at least once a year for every driver subject to drug and alcohol testing. [2][4]
Can my C/TPA buy queries for me?
No. C/TPAs cannot buy query plans on behalf of employers. [1]
Is a limited query enough for a new hire?
No. Before a new driver performs any safety-sensitive function, you must run a full query. A limited query satisfies the annual requirement. [2]
What happens to a driver's CDL after a violation?
Since November 18, 2024, when FMCSA tells a state that a CLP or CDL holder is prohibited from driving, the state must downgrade the license by removing the CLP/CDL privilege, within 60 days. [8]
Sources (9)
- FMCSA Clearinghouse - Query Plans (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- eCFR - 49 CFR 382.701 Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (via eCFR versioner API) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- eCFR - 49 CFR 382.711 Clearinghouse registration (via eCFR versioner API) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- eCFR - 49 CFR 382.103 Applicability (via eCFR versioner API) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- eCFR - 49 CFR 382.703 Driver consent (via eCFR versioner API) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- eCFR - 49 CFR 382.705 Reporting to the Clearinghouse (via eCFR versioner API) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- FMCSA Clearinghouse - Learning Center: Owner-Operator (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- eCFR - 49 CFR 383.73 State procedures, incl. (q) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (via eCFR versioner API) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)
- Federal Register - Controlled Substances and Alcohol Testing: State Driver's Licensing Agency Non-Issuance/Downgrade of CDL, 86 FR 55718 (Oct. 7, 2021) (accessed Oct 6, 2026)