FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is the federal database used to identify CDL and CLP drivers with unresolved drug and alcohol program violations. Registration is role-based. An employer, driver, owner-operator, consortium or third-party administrator, medical review officer and substance abuse professional each enters for a different purpose.
Employers use the Clearinghouse to run required queries and report employer-known violations. Drivers use it to give electronic consent for full queries, see their records and manage return-to-duty information. An owner-operator needs both the employer and driver roles and must designate a consortium or third-party administrator.
Who needs a Clearinghouse account?
| User | Why the account is needed |
|---|---|
| Employer | Run pre-employment and annual queries, report applicable violations and manage authorized assistants or C/TPAs. |
| CDL or CLP driver | Provide electronic consent for a full query, review the personal record and work through a return-to-duty process when required. |
| Owner-operator | Act as both employer and driver while designating a C/TPA to handle the owner-operator’s required reporting functions. |
| C/TPA | Conduct authorized queries or reports for employers that have formally designated it. |
| MRO or SAP | Perform the specific reporting duties assigned to qualified medical review officers or substance abuse professionals. |
Before you register
Every user signs in through Login.gov. Use an individual email address and configure multifactor authentication. Drivers should have their current CDL or CLP details ready. Employers should confirm the legal business name, USDOT number where applicable and who will be the Clearinghouse Administrator.
An employer should also decide which staff members need access and whether a C/TPA will conduct queries or make permitted reports. A designation is not automatic. The provider must have its own registered Clearinghouse account, the employer must designate it and the provider must accept.
Employer registration walkthrough
1. Start at the official registration page
Go directly to the official Clearinghouse registration page. Choose the employer role and sign in or create the Login.gov account. Avoid links in unsolicited messages that ask for passwords or payment information.
2. Identify the Clearinghouse Administrator
The person completing employer registration confirms that they will administer the company account. This user can invite or remove other users and manage C/TPA designations. Use someone who has continuing responsibility for the compliance program, not a temporary applicant or former employee.
3. Connect the correct company
Enter the business and USDOT information requested. Check the legal name and USDOT number carefully. If the system cannot match a valid carrier, resolve the underlying account or record issue rather than creating a second company.
4. Invite staff and designate service agents
Give internal users only the permissions they need. If a C/TPA will act for the employer, send the designation through the Clearinghouse and confirm that it has been accepted. The employer remains responsible for compliance even when a service agent performs tasks.
5. Set a query and reporting routine
A successful registration is only the start. Under 49 CFR Part 382, employers must conduct a pre-employment query before allowing a covered driver to perform a safety-sensitive function and query each current covered driver at least annually. They also must make reports assigned to employers within the required time.
Driver and owner-operator registration
A driver selects the driver role, signs in with Login.gov, enters and verifies current CDL or CLP information and accepts the Clearinghouse terms. The driver account is essential when an employer requests electronic consent for a full query.
An owner-operator registers both roles. FMCSA defines this user as an employer that employs itself as a CDL driver, usually a single-driver operation. The owner-operator must designate a C/TPA. That designated C/TPA is responsible for reporting drug and alcohol program violations incurred by the owner-operator.
Limited and full queries
A limited query tells the employer whether information exists in the driver’s record but does not disclose the underlying detail. It requires the driver’s general consent, which may cover more than one query for a defined period. If a limited query shows that information exists, the employer must obtain a full query before the driver continues in a covered safety-sensitive role.
A full query shows detailed Clearinghouse information and requires the driver to provide electronic consent in the system. Pre-employment queries are full queries. Failure to respond to the consent request prevents the employer from completing that required check.
Why a prohibited status now affects the CDL
Since November 18, 2024, state driver licensing agencies must remove commercial driving privileges when a driver is in a prohibited Clearinghouse status. The CDL or CLP can be downgraded until the driver completes the return-to-duty process and the Clearinghouse status changes to not prohibited. An employer must never dispatch a driver in prohibited status to operate a CMV.
Registration problems to avoid
- Registering only as a driver when the user is also an owner-operator.
- Leaving the administrator role with a person who no longer works for the carrier.
- Assuming a C/TPA designation removes the employer’s responsibility.
- Waiting until dispatch day to request a driver’s full-query consent.
- Running annual queries without reliable consent and due-date records.
- Confusing a non-DOT workplace test with a Part 382 violation.
Official references and related help
Use the Clearinghouse registration page, official rule summary and FMCSA’s employer and C/TPA guidance.
Related DCC pages: FMCSA Clearinghouse services, DOT drug and alcohol consortium services and DOT vs non-DOT drug testing.
Last reviewed August 18, 2026. General information only, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who must register in the FMCSA Clearinghouse?
Employers and C/TPAs that conduct required queries or reports must register. Drivers need accounts to provide electronic consent for full queries and review their records. MROs and SAPs register for their assigned reporting duties.
Does an owner-operator need two Clearinghouse roles?
Yes. An owner-operator needs both the employer and driver roles and must designate a registered C/TPA.
Do employers need Login.gov to access the Clearinghouse?
Yes. Clearinghouse access uses Login.gov. Each person should use an individual account protected with multifactor authentication.
What query is required before hiring a CDL driver?
A full Clearinghouse query is required before a covered driver first performs a safety-sensitive function for the employer. The driver must give electronic consent in the Clearinghouse.
How often must a current driver be queried?
An employer must query each driver subject to Part 382 at least once during every 12-month period of employment.
Can a C/TPA conduct queries for an employer?
Yes, after the employer designates the registered C/TPA in the Clearinghouse and the C/TPA accepts. The employer remains responsible for compliance.
What happens when a driver has prohibited status?
The driver may not perform safety-sensitive functions. Since November 18, 2024, state licensing agencies also remove commercial driving privileges until the required return-to-duty process is completed.
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