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United States Department of Transportation
FMCSA - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminstration

Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse

Learning Center / Owner-Operator

Owner-Operator

The resources below are designed to help CDL drivers who are self-employed and operate under their own authority, commonly known as owner-operators, understand their requirements under the Clearinghouse regulations.

Download Resources for Owner-Operators

Note: Owner-operators must meet the Clearinghouse requirements for CDL drivers and employers. Learn more about owner-operator requirements.

If you operate under another employer’s authority, you do not need to meet the Clearinghouse requirements for employers. See resources for CDL drivers.

  1. About the Clearinghouse

    Learn about the Clearinghouse.

  2. Registration

    Visit the Before You Register page to make sure you understand the registration process.

    As a registered motor carrier with a U.S. DOT Number, you should have an FMCSA Portal account. Signing in with your Portal account can help your Clearinghouse registration go more smoothly.

    How to Register: Employers With Portal Accounts | Registro De Usario: Empleadores Con Cuenta en Portal FMCSA
    Do you need help with your FMCSA Portal account? Use the guides below.
    Register for the Portal as a Company User or Company Official
    Add your U.S. DOT Number to your Company User or Company Official Portal account
    Request the Clearinghouse Portal User Role

    You will not be able to take any action in the Clearinghouse until you have designated your consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA).
    How to Designate Your C/TPA

  3. Consent Requests

    As employers, owner-operators must query the Clearinghouse for information on all CDL drivers they employ, including themselves, at least once a year. Owner-operators must obtain driver consent before querying the Clearinghouse for a driver’s record. These queries may also be performed by a designated C/TPA, with the owner-operator’s consent.

  4. Conducting Queries

    Owner-operators must query any driver's they employ, including themselves. A designated C/TPA may conduct queries on an owner-operator's behalf.

    How to Conduct a Limited Query
    How to Conduct a Full Query
    Query History

    As employers, owner-operators must purchase a query plan to meet their query requirements. C/TPAs cannot purchase query plans on behalf of employers.
    Query Plan Details | Información de los Planes de Consulta
    How to Purchase a Query Plan

  5. Violations and the RTD Process

    Once a violation is reported in the Clearinghouse, the driver is prohibited from performing safety-sensitive functions, including operating a CMV, until they complete the return-to-duty (RTD) process.

    How to Report Driver Violation Information
    Overview of the Return-to-Duty Process
    How to Report Driver RTD Information
    Completing the Return-to-Duty Process (Driver Visor Card)
    How to Designate a Substance Abuse Professional

    If an owner-operator believes their Clearinghouse data is inaccurate, they may request a data review. How to Submit a DataQs Petition
    Requests for Record Correction under the Privacy Act

  6. Other Resources

Select Another User Role

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