Employers are now required to use a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The clearinghouse is a secure online database that gives employers, state driver licensing agencies, and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about holders of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and violations of drug and alcohol programs.
The clearinghouse contains records of violations of drug and alcohol prohibitions, positive drug or alcohol test results, and test refusals. The goal of the program is to make roads safer as information from all states will now be accessible by employers.
January 6, 2020 was the date employers were mandated to have a query plan in the clearinghouse and all drivers with CDLs must have a profile in the clearinghouse. There are two types of queries that can be utilized. The FMCSA has complete information on its website.
Read an article from Water Well Journal®’s January 2020 issue that provides more details on the program as well.