December 22, 2020

DOT Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Deadline is January 5, 2021

The deadline for conducting annual limited queries for DOT employees, as required by FMCSA through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, is midnight January 5, 2021. The clearinghouse is a national database pertaining to violations of the DOT drug and alcohol testing program for holders of CDLs. Beginning January 6, 2020, cities employing CDL drivers were required to query the clearinghouse for current and prospective employees for drug and alcohol violations before permitting them to operate a commercial motor vehicle. During the first three years, employers have to complete both the manual inquiries with prior employers to meet the three-year timeframe as well as the new electronic clearinghouse query. Once three years of violation data are stored in the clearinghouse, employers will only be required to perform an electronic inquiry through the clearinghouse. To read all the requirements see the full article.