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How well do you know the Clearinghouse?
2023-09-27T05:00:00Z
Even though it has been over three years since the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse launched, we receive several questions a week on the topic through our Expert Help feature.
As of August 2023, over 4 million drivers and 430,000 employers have registered accounts with the database. In 2022, almost 7 million queries were requested of the system, and this year appears to be on track with almost 4.5 million through August.
With so much activity on the site, it is important to know the basics. Take our true-or-false quiz to test yourself on Clearinghouse facts
True or False?
Is the statement True or False? | |
1. | Employers must download and print a copy of all requested Clearinghouse queries. |
2. | An employer or medical review officer (MRO) can enter a drug and alcohol program violation in a driver’s Clearinghouse record even if the driver is not registered with the Clearinghouse. |
3. | Employers will not receive updates to a driver’s record after requesting a query. |
4. | Roadside inspection personnel don’t have access to the Clearinghouse. |
5. | All CDL drivers need a Clearinghouse account. |
6. | If driver cannot be verified in the Clearinghouse, the documented attempt is used in lieu of a returned query. |
7. | An employer is not required to conduct a pre-employment query for a driver-applicant subject to Part 382 before administering a road test (391.31). |
How did you do?
Check your responses against the following answer key:
- False. You may store your completed Clearinghouse queries in the portal under your account as an electronic filing cabinet. However, if you close your Clearinghouse account (e.g., no longer subject to Part 382), you would have to export out those queries that are within the three-year retention period since the portal no longer qualifies as an electronic filing cabinet for the motor carrier. Note that a driver’s signed consent for a limited query is stored outside of the Clearinghouse in whatever format the carrier wants (e.g., scanned image, hardcopy, electronic form with e-signature).
- True. When a violation is entered, the Clearinghouse associates it with a driver’s CDL information. This will be recorded even if the driver has not registered with the Clearinghouse. When an employer queries a driver’s information in the Clearinghouse (with the appropriate consent), they will enter the driver’s CDL information to verify if any violations are associated with that driver’s CDL.
- False. As of March 8, 2023, the FMCSA will notify a motor carrier via email if a driver the carrier has queried in the Clearinghouse has new information (such as an update in return-to-duty status, a removed violation, or a new violation) added to their record within 12 months of the last query. This applies to both pre-employment and annual queries. This closes a loophole that resulted in employers waiting for up to a year between queries to learn of a change in a driver’s Clearinghouse record. Learn more on this topic in a previous news article: Clearinghouse alerts: Responding to an updated driver record.
- False. Roadside inspection personnel are given access to information residing in the Clearinghouse. During a roadside inspection, enforcement will query a CDL or commercial learner’s permit (CLP) using existing software (Query Central or CDLIS). Both systems are linked to the Clearinghouse to indicate whether a driver has an unresolved FMCSA testing violation. A driver with an unresolved testing violation will be placed out of service.
- False. Only those drivers that must consent to a full query must have an account. A full query shows all the details that exist on the driver in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. A full query requires a driver to log into his or her account to authorize the motor carrier’s access to the report.
A pre-employment query is a full query. Anyone seeking a CDL safety-sensitive position must be prepared to grant consent via the portal by having an account. Annual queries performed by motor carriers on existing drivers are, at minimum, a limited query.
A limited query requires the employer to have the driver grant consent outside of the portal. The limited query simply states whether the driver has information in the system. If the driver has a record in the Clearinghouse, the motor carrier is required to request a full query to learn details. The existing driver must have a portal account or create one. - False. A motor carrier is unable to forego a Clearinghouse query if the system does not recognize the driver in CDLIS. The reason for the verification problem must be identified and corrected. For example, if the motor carrier did not enter the information as exactly appearing on the license or included dashes or symbols, the issue can be resolved easily. If the CDLIS pointer is pointing to a previous state of licensing, the driver will have to work with both the current and previous state to show a surrender of a previous license.
- True. An employer is not required to conduct a pre-employment query of the Clearinghouse before administering a road test to a prospective driver who is subject to 382. Under 382.701(a), employers are required to query the Clearinghouse when hiring a driver to perform safety-sensitive functions. The road test occurs before the driver is hired, so employers may conduct a pre-employment query at the time they road test a prospective driver but are not required to do so.
Key to remember: Understanding how the Clearinghouse works, ensures compliance.