The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse II rule became fully effective on November 18, 2024. This update significantly changes how employers verify CDL driver compliance history before hiring.
The key change: Under the original Clearinghouse rule, employers were required to contact a new CDL driver's previous employers from the past three years to request drug and alcohol testing records — even if a full Clearinghouse query returned no violations. Clearinghouse II eliminates this requirement. When a full Clearinghouse query returns no violations, employers are no longer required to contact prior employers for paper records.
The prior employer contact requirement is only retained when a full query reveals a violation that requires follow-up, or for records that predate the Clearinghouse's January 2020 launch date (records from 2017–2019 are not in the Clearinghouse and still require direct employer contact if needed).
What remains required: All CDL employers must still: (1) conduct a full Clearinghouse query with driver consent before allowing any safety-sensitive function; (2) conduct annual limited queries on all current CDL drivers within a rolling 365-day period; and (3) report violations to the Clearinghouse within the required timeframes.
For MedTrac clients: MedTrac manages Clearinghouse compliance on behalf of enrolled clients, including pre-employment queries, annual limited queries, and violation reporting. If you have questions about your Clearinghouse obligations under the new rules, contact our compliance team.
MedTrac monitors every DOT agency and the Federal Register continuously. When regulations change, we notify all enrolled clients immediately and update program documentation as needed. Our goal is to ensure you are never caught off-guard by a regulatory change.
Questions about how this update affects your compliance program? Contact MedTrac at +1 (203) 776-7771 or salesteam@medtracinc.com.
