Clearinghouse
The FMCSA Clearinghouse, explained for small carriers
By the TenFour Compliance team · Published 2026-08-30 · Last reviewed August 30, 2026
The Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is FMCSA's national database of CDL drivers' drug and alcohol program violations. Since it went live, checking it is not optional: employers of CDL drivers have specific query duties, and owner-operators carry those employer duties for themselves.
What the Clearinghouse is
It is a federal database recording violations like positive tests and refusals, along with return-to-duty status. Its purpose is to stop a driver with an unresolved violation from quietly moving to a new carrier. Employers check it; medical review officers and substance abuse professionals report into it.
What employers must do
- Register in the Clearinghouse as an employer.
- Run a full pre-employment query before a newly hired CDL driver performs safety-sensitive functions — a full query requires the driver's electronic consent.
- Run at least one query per year on every CDL driver you employ (the annual query can be the limited type, escalating to a full query if it shows information).
- Report violations you are required to report, and keep records of consents and queries.
The owner-operator rule people miss
An owner-operator is both employer and driver — and FMCSA requires employers who employ themselves to designate a consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA) in the Clearinghouse. Your C/TPA handles certain reporting duties an employer cannot perform on themselves. If you have authority and drive your own truck with no staff, this applies to you.
How violations clear
A violation follows the driver until the return-to-duty process is completed and recorded — records generally remain visible for five years or until the follow-up program is done, whichever is later. For hiring, what matters is simple: a full query tells you whether the driver is currently prohibited.
Keeping it on schedule
Clearinghouse compliance fails on calendars, not concepts: the annual query is easy to run and easier to forget. Put every driver's query anniversary on a tracked calendar — or use a service that runs the schedule and files the consent records for you.
TenFour keeps Clearinghouse queries on schedule for every driver — including you.
See the Clearinghouse serviceFrequently asked
What is the difference between a limited and full query?
A limited query checks whether the database holds information about the driver and can satisfy the annual requirement; it uses a general consent you keep on file. A full query reveals the actual record and requires the driver's electronic consent in the Clearinghouse — and is what pre-employment requires.
I only drive for myself. Do I really have to query myself every year?
Yes — the employer duties apply to owner-operators, which is also why the C/TPA designation is required. Your C/TPA can help administer the process.
Does TenFour run the queries for me?
We track every driver's query schedule, prepare what each query needs, and keep the records. Steps that must occur inside the government portal are performed by a person, consistent with the system's rules.
Sources
- FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse (official site)
- Clearinghouse — Employer information
- Clearinghouse — Owner-operator / C/TPA information
This guide is educational information about compliance administration, not legal advice. Requirements vary by operation and change over time — verify specifics against the official sources above, and consult a qualified attorney for legal questions. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll correct it — corrections are noted with the review date above.