What is the return-to-duty process?

After a drug or alcohol violation, a driver must be evaluated by a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional, complete the required education/treatment, and pass a return-to-duty test before driving again, with follow-up testing after.

Do I have to register for the Clearinghouse?

Drivers should register to view their own record and to provide required consent when an employer needs to run a full query. It's free to register.

Staying Compliant: CSA, Clearinghouse & Testing

The safety scores and drug-and-alcohol rules that follow you — and how to keep them clean.

Key Facts

The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is a federal database of CDL drivers' testing results.
Employers must query the Clearinghouse before hiring and at least once a year afterward.
A violation parks you until you complete the return-to-duty process.
Clean inspections lower your CSA scores, your insurance costs, and your inspection frequency.

Your CSA score

The FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program scores carriers on inspections and violations across categories like unsafe driving, HOS, and vehicle maintenance. A bad score means more inspections, higher insurance, and lost freight.

The Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse

The Clearinghouse is a federal database of CDL drivers' drug-and-alcohol testing results. Carriers must query it before hiring and annually after. A violation parks you until you complete the return-to-duty process with a Substance Abuse Professional.

Stay ahead of it

Keep your medical card, testing, and MVR current; fix vehicle defects before they're written up; and run legal hours. Clean inspections are the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the return-to-duty process?: After a drug or alcohol violation, a driver must be evaluated by a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional, complete the required education/treatment, and pass a return-to-duty test before driving again, with follow-up testing after.
Do I have to register for the Clearinghouse?: Drivers should register to view their own record and to provide required consent when an employer needs to run a full query. It's free to register.