If driver cannot be verified in the Clearinghouse, can we just document our attempts in lieu of a returned query?

No, 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 relatively 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.

For a pre-employment query, you must have the results of the full query prior to performing a safety-sensitive function. For an annual limited query, if the carrier waits until the due date of the query and is unable obtain the report, each day the driver operates a CDL CMV without the report is a violation.