Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Services

Handling FMCSA Clearinghouse inquiries can be complex and time-consuming. Avatar simplifies this process, ensuring you remain compliant and efficient, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

Effortless Compliance

Have peace of mind that Clearinghouse inquiries and responses meet FMCSA standards.

Time-Saving Solutions

Our team handles contacting the Clearinghouse, gathering and reviewing results, and organizing data in DriverHub.

Expert Support

Our compliance specialists provide tailored guidance to meet your company’s needs.

How It Works

Authorize Avatar as Your TPA

Sign a contract and grant us Third-Party Administrator (TPA) access through the FMCSA Clearinghouse website.

Fund Your Query Balance

Ensure your Clearinghouse query balance has enough funds—we recommend maintaining at least one query per driver. If you have 100 drivers, keep 100 queries ready to avoid delays.

Let AvatarAssistant Do The Work

AvatarAssistant orders the Clearinghouse query once results return from the FMCSA. You'll receive a DOT-compliant file in the drivers' DQ file, ensuring 100% FMCSA compliance.

Free Resources

Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Guide

Download our guide to help assist you through the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse implementation.

Get the Guide

Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse: Answers to Common Questions

In the first week of operation, the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse identified nearly 8,000 substance abuse violations.

What to Know About the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse

We’ll help you navigate the murky waters of this Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulation.

What is the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse?

The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is an online database that tracks commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders' drug and alcohol violations. It helps ensure that drivers who have violated FMCSA’s substance abuse rules receive the required evaluation and treatment before returning to safety-sensitive duties.

Who is required to use the Clearinghouse?

Employers of CDL drivers, medical review officers (MROs), substance abuse professionals (SAPs) and state licensing agencies must use the Clearinghouse. CDL drivers themselves must also register to provide consent for employers to access their records.

What are the types of queries in the Clearinghouse?

There are two types of queries:

Limited Query: Checks if a driver has any records in the Clearinghouse without revealing specific details.
Full Query: Provides detailed information about any drug and alcohol violations. A driver’s consent is required for full queries.

How often do I need to run Clearinghouse queries on my drivers?

Employers must:

Run a pre-employment full query before hiring a CDL driver.
Conduct annual limited queries for all existing CDL drivers.

How does Avatar help with Clearinghouse compliance?

Avatar streamlines your Clearinghouse process by:

Managing bulk uploads for companies with multiple drivers.
Creating compliant records for your Driver Qualification (DQ) files.
Ensuring all documentation is audit-ready.

How do I authorize Avatar as my Third-Party Administrator (TPA)?

You must log into your Clearinghouse account, select "Manage" under "Employer Dashboard," and designate Avatar as your TPA. We can provide a step-by-step guide if needed.

What happens if my query balance runs out?

FMCSA requires employers to maintain a query balance to run checks. We recommend keeping enough credits for your total number of drivers to avoid delays. If your balance runs low, you'll need to add funds before more queries can be processed.

How much does Avatar charge for Clearinghouse services?

Our standard fee is $10 per query. Bulk uploads and additional services may be packaged at a custom rate — contact us for a tailored quote!

How do I know if my drivers have given consent for a full query?

Drivers must log into the FMCSA Clearinghouse and approve a full query request. We can notify you when a consent request is pending and guide drivers through the process if needed.

What records does Avatar provide for my audit?

We generate FMCSA-compliant reports using the data retrieved from the Clearinghouse and organize them in your DriverHub DQ files. This ensures you're prepared for any DOT audit.