FMCSA Clearinghouse, fully managed.
Registration assistance, pre-employment + annual queries, violation reporting, and return-to-duty management — the full Clearinghouse lifecycle handled by your designated C/TPA. $199 one-time setup, $12/driver/year queries, $240/yr Post SAP management. 5-year audit-ready retention per 49 CFR Part 382 Subpart G.
- Login.gov + Clearinghouse portal setup, USDOT linking, C/TPA designation
- Pre-employment full queries with electronic driver consent (FCRA-compliant)
- Annual limited queries on every driver — auto-scheduled, never missed
- Violation reporting on positives, refusals, and actual-knowledge findings
- Return-to-duty + follow-up test reporting on the driver's behalf
- Audit-ready records retained the federal 5 years per 49 CFR 382.711
Enrollment. Queries. Violations. Return-to-duty.
The Clearinghouse touches a CDL operation at four moments: when you set up, when you hire or run an annual sweep, when a driver tests positive, and when they earn their way back. We handle all four through one portal.
Enrollment
Login.gov account, FMCSA Clearinghouse registration as employer + driver (owner-ops register in both roles), USDOT number linked, VID designated as your C/TPA. $199 one-time. See enrollment →
Queries
Pre-employment full query before first dispatch (driver consent required), annual limited query on every active driver. $12 / driver / year covers both. See queries →
Violations
When a positive, refusal, or actual-knowledge finding hits the Clearinghouse, the driver is immediately prohibited from safety-sensitive duty. We file the violation and start the SAP referral. See violations →
Plus return-to-duty: SAP coordination, observed RTD test ($99), 6+ follow-up tests ($99 each), and Clearinghouse RTD-completion reporting. Bundled in our $240/yr Post SAP program.
You designate. We do. You stay audit-ready.
Once you designate Vertical Identity as your C/TPA in the FMCSA portal, the rest of the process happens through the member portal — driver consent, query execution, reporting, and audit folder retention.
You designate
One time, in the FMCSA Clearinghouse portal, you select Vertical Identity as your designated C/TPA. After that, we have authority to execute queries, file violations, and report return-to-duty results on your behalf. Reversible at any time.
We execute
Order through your member portal — pre-employment full query for new hires, annual limited query for active drivers. Driver consent flows through the FMCSA portal directly to the driver (FCRA-compliant). Results post to your portal same-day in most cases.
You stay audit-ready
Every query, consent record, and violation report is kept in your audit folder for the federal 5-year retention. If FMCSA audits, the Clearinghouse binder is one click away. Annual query reminders go out 30 days before each driver's anniversary.
Four times you'll be glad we run it.
The Clearinghouse is mostly invisible — until it isn't. These are the moments where having a designated C/TPA makes the difference between routine and audit finding.
Pre-employment query
Driver clicks consent on their phone, full query runs in minutes, result posts to your portal. No "I forgot" to chase. Required before first dispatch per 49 CFR 382.701.
Year-end sweep
30 days before each driver's anniversary, we auto-schedule the limited query. If anything pops, full query auto-fires with consent request. Misses are zero.
Driver tests positive
Driver removed from duty same day. We file the violation, refer to a SAP, and start the return-to-duty case. Driver and DER both notified through the portal — no surprise calls.
RTD completion
Negative observed RTD test, 6+ follow-up tests over 12 months, plan completion. We file the RTD result + follow-up plan to the Clearinghouse — driver returns to eligible status.
Annual queries are bundled into consortium membership at no additional charge. Standalone Clearinghouse-only customers pay $12 per driver per year.
How much do FMCSA Clearinghouse services cost?
Member rates apply when the order is placed through your portal. The $199 setup is one-time per DOT — all subsequent queries, violation handling, and RTD reporting are bundled or billed per-test thereafter.
Member rates shown. Direct C/TPA fees through other providers typically run 2-3× these prices for the same federally-defined service.
Related Clearinghouse pages
- Motor carrier compliance hub — every FMCSA requirement under one roof
- Clearinghouse enrollment for owner-operators — login.gov setup, dual-role registration, USDOT linking, $199 one-time
- Clearinghouse queries — pre-employment full + annual limited, $12/driver/year, FCRA-compliant consent
- Clearinghouse violations — what happens when a driver tests positive, the path back to eligible status
- Post SAP management program — $240/yr full case management for return-to-duty + follow-up testing
- Return-to-duty testing — directly observed at $99 all-in, federally required per 49 CFR 40.67
- FMCSA consortium enrollment — bundles annual Clearinghouse queries with random drug pool placement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FMCSA Clearinghouse?
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a federal database that tracks CDL driver drug and alcohol violations under 49 CFR Part 382 Subpart G. Employers must query the Clearinghouse before hiring a CDL driver (full query) and at least once per year for each currently employed driver (limited query). Violations are reported by Medical Review Officers, employers, and Substance Abuse Professionals, and stay on the record for 5 years or until the driver completes the return-to-duty process.
Do I need to register with the Clearinghouse?
Yes — both employers AND drivers must register. All employers of CDL drivers must register, and owner-operators have to register in BOTH roles (employer + driver) since they're both. Drivers must register and provide electronic consent for full queries. We handle the entire setup at $199 one-time, including login.gov configuration, USDOT linking, and C/TPA designation.
How much do Clearinghouse queries cost through Vertical Identity?
We manage Clearinghouse queries for $12 per driver per year — covering both pre-employment full queries and annual limited queries. For consortium members, annual queries are bundled into membership at no additional charge. Violation reporting and return-to-duty result reporting are also included.
Can VID be designated as my C/TPA?
Yes. Vertical Identity is a designated Consortium/Third-Party Administrator. Once you register and link your USDOT number, you select VID as your C/TPA in the FMCSA portal — we then have authority to run queries, report violations, and file return-to-duty results on your behalf. This is the standard setup for owner-operators and small fleets.
What if a driver tests positive — what does VID handle?
When a violation hits the Clearinghouse, the driver is immediately prohibited from safety-sensitive duty until they complete the SAP return-to-duty process. We coordinate the SAP referral, schedule the directly-observed RTD test ($99 all-in), manage the 6+ follow-up tests over 12 months, and file the negative RTD result + follow-up plan completion to the Clearinghouse. Our $240/yr Post SAP program covers the case management end-to-end.
How long are Clearinghouse records kept?
Per 49 CFR 382.711, violation records remain in the Clearinghouse for 5 years from the date of the violation, OR until the driver completes the full return-to-duty process — whichever is later. Negative pre-employment query results are kept for 3 years. We retain query records and supporting documentation in your audit folder for the federal retention period automatically.
Designate. Order. Forget about it.
Members run Clearinghouse queries and file violations through one portal. The $199 setup pays for itself the first time you avoid a missed query. Not a member yet? Enroll your DOT in 10 minutes.