The Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

You were traveling when a truck driver hit you. You later found out that the driver did not have a right to have his license; he’d been in a drunk-driving accident in the past and was not supposed to be hired for commercial driving.

People in your situation shouldn’t have to worry about the wrong people getting licensed to drive. Since this is an ongoing concern, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been working to establish the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which is a database that shows violations in relation to drug and alcohol testing programs for those who have commercial driver’s licenses.

The program finalizes in 2020 and requires medical review officers, third-party administrators, substance-abuse professionals and motor carriers to report drivers who go through a return-to-duty drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, refuse testing for drugs or alcohol or test positive for alcohol or drugs.

Each year, motor carriers will have to search the clearinghouse database for their current employees and also prior to hiring any new employees. The goal is to cut down on the number of people hired with backgrounds that make them too dangerous to others on the roads. Drivers must give consent before the clearinghouse can be accessed.

Federal regulations currently require drug testing before employment and random alcohol and drug testing. If a person tests positive on a test, then that person is not allowed to operate a commercial motor vehicle or safety-sensitive functions at the business.

If you’re hurt because a driver with a checkered past was back behind the wheel, your attorney can help. You need to focus on your health, and your attorney can help you handle a legal claim.

Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “Commercial Driver's License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse,” accessed May 05, 2017