The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse (DAC) is an online database that gives employers and government agencies real-time access to information about CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations. Checking the DAC is standard practice for most employers in the industry and helps keep our nation’s roads safe. To keep in compliance with the standards in the industry, all SAGE students are required to register with DAC.
Students must register with the DAC as soon as they have their CDL permit. Students will be required to give electronic consent through the Clearinghouse website in order for SAGE to do a full query of a student’s DAC record. Students may not operate a truck in training on public roads until the DAC consent and query is complete and the student has been approved.
1. Student obtains a CDL permit (if you already have a permit or CDL, you still need to register).
2. Student registers on the Clearinghouse website to create their account (we recommend you provide an email so you receive DAC notices quickly).
3. SAGE will initiate a DAC full query request.
4. Student will receive a DAC notification, requesting their consent to allow a query.
5. Student must respond to the consent request online.
6. SAGE will then receive the results of the query through the Clearinghouse website.
If a Student Refuses to Give Consent: You cannot continue with CDL training because the DAC query is an FMCSA requirement.
A query result of “Driver Prohibited” requires that the student is terminated from training until a successful query is completed.
If the result is "Driver Not Prohibited", the student may proceed with the training.
Effective January 6, 2020, it is mandatory for employers to use the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse to report and query information about driver drug and alcohol violations during the pre-employment process, as well as any record of violations of drug and alcohol prohibitions in 49 CFR Part 382, Subpart B. This includes positive drug or alcohol test results and test refusals, as well as completion of the return-to-duty (RTD) process and follow-up testing plan. All commercial drivers holding either a Commercial Driver License (CDL) or Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) must register through the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse website to give consent to a pre-employment query and to view their file. This requirement does apply to SAGE students once they receive a CLP.
Registration can be accomplished using any electronic device with internet access, including smart phones.
The website for registering is: https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/register
If you have questions, there is also a FAQ sheet that can be found on the website. https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/FAQ