The FMCSA Clearinghouse: A Practical Guide for Employers

The Clearinghouse has been mandatory since January 2020, and it still confuses carriers. Full queries, limited queries, annual queries, driver consent forms — it's a lot. Let's cut through the noise and give you exactly what you need to know.

What Is the Clearinghouse?

It's an FMCSA-run database that tracks drug and alcohol violations for CDL holders. Every positive test, every refusal, every return-to-duty — it all goes in the Clearinghouse. Before it existed, a driver could test positive with one carrier and get hired by the next one without anyone knowing.

Those days are over.

Employer Registration

You must register at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov as an employer. Registration is free. You'll need your USDOT number and a company administrator email. Do this before you hire your first driver. An unregistered employer is a compliance violation.

Types of Queries

Full Query

Required at pre-employment for every new CDL driver. Reveals all detailed drug & alcohol violation records. Costs $1.25 per query. Requires electronic driver consent — the driver must log into the Clearinghouse and approve your query before you can see the results.

This is where things slow down. Drivers who aren't tech-savvy struggle with the consent process. Build 2-3 days into your onboarding timeline for this step.

Limited Query

Required annually for all current CDL drivers. Tells you only whether a violation exists — yes or no. Costs $1.25 per query. If the result comes back positive, you must follow up with a full query (which requires driver consent).

You need a general consent form signed by the driver to run limited queries. This is a one-time consent, not per-query. Get it signed during onboarding and keep it in the DQF (Driver Qualification File).

Reporting Requirements

Employers and MROs (Medical Review Officers — licensed physicians who review lab results) must report to the Clearinghouse:

• Positive drug test results (reported by MRO)
• Alcohol test results of 0.04+ BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) (reported by employer)
• Refusals to test (reported by employer)
• Actual knowledge violations (reported by employer)
• Return-to-duty and follow-up test results (reported by SAP (Substance Abuse Professional)/employer)

Common Mistakes

• Not running annual limited queries — This replaced the old §391.23(e) previous employer inquiry as of January 2023. No excuses.
• Forgetting driver consent for full queries — The driver must provide electronic consent. Paper consent doesn't count for full queries.
• Not registering as an employer — We've seen carriers 3+ years into operation who never registered. It's free. Do it today.
• Hiring before the query clears — Never let a driver behind the wheel before the full query result comes back clean.