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    ​Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) Frequently Asked Questions

    1. What is the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and what information does it contain?
    2. How will State Driver Licensing Agencies use the Clearinghouse?
    3. How does the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse improve highway safety?
    4. Who do I contact to correct information about myself in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?
    5. How do I resolve my prohibited driver Status in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?
    6. How do I get my commercial driving privilege reinstated after being downgraded due to my prohibited status?
    7. If a driver has a drug and alcohol program violation in one State, then applies for a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in another State, will the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse be able to connect that driver’s drug and alcohol violation history to the new CDL?​

     

     

    1. What is the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and what information does it contain?

    The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database that gives employers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs), and State law enforcement personnel real-time information about commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders’ drug and alcohol program violations.

    Records of violations of drug and alcohol prohibitions, including positive drug or alcohol test results and test refusals, are contained in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. When a driver completes the return-to-duty (RTD) process and follow-up testing plan, this information is also recorded in the Clearinghouse.

    2. How will State Driver Licensing Agencies use the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?

    State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) must query the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring CDLs and issuing, renewing, and upgrading CLPs. In addition, SDLAs must review a driver’s information when notified by FMCSA of a driver’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse status change.

    3. How does the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse improve highway safety?

    The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse provides FMCSA, SDLAs, and employers the necessary tools to identify drivers who are prohibited from operating a CMV based on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and alcohol program violations and ensure that such drivers receive the required evaluation and treatment before operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) on public roads.

    4. Whom do I contact to correct information about myself in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?

    Drivers seeking to correct information about themselves or seeking to correct information recorded about themselves in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse may find assistance on how to do that by visiting the Driver Resources Tab in Clearinghouse’s Learning Center.

    5. How do I resolve my prohibited driver Status in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?

    You can visit the FMCSA's Clearinghouse website and log in to the Clearinghouse to view the violation information in your Clearinghouse driver record. A driver who engages in conduct prohibited by 49 C.F.R. part 382, subpart B must successfully complete the return-to-duty (RTD) process with a qualified substance abuse professional (SAP).  Upon logging in, the Driver Dashboard will prompt you to identify the substance abuse professional (SAP) you have selected, which is the first step to initiate the RTD process. The requirements for the RTD process are found in 49 C.F.R. part 40, subpart O, and are summarized in this RTD quick reference for drivers​.

    6. How do I get my commercial driving privilege reinstated after being downgraded due to my prohibited status?

    To have your Clearinghouse status change from “prohibited” to “not prohibited,” you must complete the return-to-duty (RTD) process, as established by 49 C.F.R. part 40, subpart O. After you complete the RTD process and your Clearinghouse status is updated to “not prohibited,” your State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA) will allow you to reinstate your commercial driving privileges.

    FMCSA has created a resource that outlines the steps drivers take to complete their RTD process: RTD quick reference for drivers. For more information about the RTD process, visit the Clearinghouse’s Learning Center.

    7. If a driver has a drug and alcohol program violation in one State, then applies for a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in another State, will the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse be able to connect that driver’s drug and alcohol violation history to the new CDL?

    Yes. The Clearinghouse will identify drivers who move frequently and obtain CDLs in different States and link those CDLs, in order to maintain complete and accurate information on such drivers.