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FMCSA Announces Important Update to Clearinghouse

As of March 8, 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has made an important change to the Clearinghouse query notifications. The FMCSA will now notify employers if there is a change to a driver’s Clearinghouse record up to 12 months following a driver query.


The push notification will be in the form of a timely email notification, instead of annually queried manually. This is intended to close the safety gap that can occur if a driver attempts to go to another trucking company, while still employed with another, and receives a positive drug test.

The notification from DOT regarding the Clearinghouse update is below.

Query Notifications

The Clearinghouse will now notify employers if there is a change to a driver’s Clearinghouse record up to 12 months following a driver query.

Previously, after conducting a pre-employment query, an employer received a notification from the Clearinghouse if there was a change to that driver’s Clearinghouse record within 30 days. FMCSA has expanded employer notifications, as explained below.

As of March 8, 2023, an employer will be notified via email when a driver they have queried has new information recorded in their Clearinghouse record within 12 months of a pre-employment or annual query. The Query History will also be updated to reflect when new information is available, as illustrated in the screenshot below.

Follow-on query is needed to view new driver information

Note that new information in a Clearinghouse record may include changes such as an update in return-to-duty status, a removed violation, or a new violation. A full follow-on query is needed to determine if the new information results in the driver having a “Prohibited” Clearinghouse status.

The employer should complete a full follow-on query, which requires the driver’s specific consent, within 24 hours to determine if the new information prohibits the driver from performing safety-sensitive functions, such as operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

If the employer uses the “Send Consent Request” prompt on the Query History screen, they will not be charged for the follow-on query. The follow-on query will also satisfy the employer’s annual query requirement, and employers will receive notifications of changes to the driver’s record within 12 months of a follow-on query.


Make sure to check out our online DOT Training platform, DOT University! We currently are offering Reasonable Suspicion for Supervisors, Cargo Securement, Defensive Driving, and Pre/Post Trip Inspection. In the coming months, we plan on releasing Designated Employer Representative and Appendix A.

Until then, check out our other blogs or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be the first to know when new classes are made available or for other updates like this! You can also opt-in to our newsletter for exclusive offers, regulation changes, and industry news!

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