Before the Clearinghouse existed, a driver who failed a drug test at one carrier could drive across town and get hired at another the next week, because the second carrier had no way to know. The Clearinghouse closed that gap. It is a federal database where drug and alcohol program violations for CDL drivers are recorded, and carriers are required to check it before hiring and once a year afterward. It applies to every carrier that employs a CDL driver, including a carrier whose only CDL driver is the owner.
What gets recorded
- Positive drug tests and alcohol tests at or above the limit.
- Refusals to test, which are treated the same as a positive.
- Actual knowledge violations reported by an employer, such as a driver seen using on duty or a DUI in a commercial vehicle.
- The driver's progress through the return-to-duty process with a substance abuse professional, and the negative return-to-duty test.
- Follow-up testing plan completion.
What a carrier has to do
- 01Register the company in the Clearinghouse and buy a query plan. Queries cost a small fee each.
- 02Before a new CDL driver operates: run a full query, which requires the driver's electronic consent inside the Clearinghouse. A full query shows the driver's complete record.
- 03At least once every twelve months for every CDL driver: run a limited query, which only says whether a record exists. The driver signs a general consent for limited queries that you keep on file. If a limited query shows a record, you must run a full query within a set number of days.
- 04Report violations you become aware of: positive tests from your own program, refusals, and actual knowledge situations, within the required time.
- 05Keep records of every query for three years.
Owner-operators
An owner-operator is both the employer and the driver, and the rules do not allow a person to run their own program on themselves. Owner-operators must designate a consortium or third-party administrator in the Clearinghouse. The administrator runs the queries, manages the random testing pool, and reports violations on the owner's behalf. Registering as a driver alone is not enough; the employer registration with a designated administrator is what auditors look for.
A driver with an unresolved violation in the Clearinghouse is prohibited from performing any safety-sensitive function, which includes driving. Since late 2024, state licensing agencies also downgrade the CDL of a driver in prohibited status. A carrier that lets that driver operate is liable for it, whether or not it knew.
If a driver has a violation
The driver cannot drive until the return-to-duty process is complete. That means an evaluation by a substance abuse professional, whatever treatment or education the professional prescribes, a negative return-to-duty test, and a follow-up testing plan that can last years. Each step is recorded in the Clearinghouse. A driver can see their own record and dispute errors, but the underlying violation stays on the record for five years or until follow-up testing is complete, whichever is later.
Frequently asked questions
My driver only runs inside Texas. Does the Clearinghouse apply?
Yes. It follows the CDL, not the route. Any driver who holds a CDL and operates a vehicle that requires one is covered, intrastate or interstate.
Do I need to be in a random testing pool too?
Yes. The Clearinghouse records results; the testing program produces them. Every CDL driver must be in a random pool run by the carrier or a consortium, and the pre-employment test comes before the first drive.
What does the annual query cost?
A small per-query fee set by the agency, purchased in bundles. For a one-truck carrier it is one of the cheapest items on the compliance list.
We can register and manage it
Clearinghouse registration, consortium enrollment and the annual queries are part of our DOT compliance work for Permian carriers. Call (432) 257-7547 or come by 700 C Andrews Hwy in Midland. English and Spanish.
Related services