One role only
Owner-operators need both the employer and the driver registration.
FMCSA Clearinghouse registration for owner-operators
By Gustavo · Updated October 2026
MILE02QUERIES EXPLAINED
Full and limited queries
| Full query | Limited query | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before a driver first drives for you | At least once a year after that |
| Shows | Any violation details | Only whether information exists |
| Consent | Electronic, in the Clearinghouse | General written consent |
| If information exists | You see it | A full query is needed within 24 hours |
SOURCE: Source: FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (checked Oct 2026).
MILE03REGISTRATION MILE MARKERS
Register, one mile at a time
Tick each step as you finish it. The steps are described in words, not copied screens; the Clearinghouse site walks you through the details.
0/6 done. Your ticks stay on this page only; nothing is saved or sent.
MILE04WHY A C/TPA HELPS
Why designating a C/TPA helps
- Queries run for you. Your consortium can run the annual query on your behalf once designated.
- Reporting handled. Test results and refusals that must be reported go in on time.
- One place for the program. Random selections, collections, MRO and the Clearinghouse in one service.
- Easier audits. Records are kept together and available when an auditor asks.
MILE05PARTNER
Pick a consortium to designate
MILE06COMMON MISTAKES
Common registration mistakes
No query plan
Without one, neither you nor your C/TPA can run queries.
No C/TPA designation
Your consortium can't help until you name it in the employer role.
Skipping the pre-employment query
A full query on yourself before you drive under your own authority.
Old email address
Login and notices go to the email you registered. Keep it current.
Assuming non-CDL drivers register
They don't; the Clearinghouse is for CDL drivers.
MILE07RETURN-TO-DUTY STATUS
What a prohibited status means
A driver with a violation in the Clearinghouse is in prohibited status until they finish the return-to-duty process under 49 CFR Part 40, Subpart O: a substance abuse professional evaluation, any required education or treatment, and a negative return-to-duty test. Until then, they can't drive a CDL vehicle.
For dispatch, that means no CDL loads can be booked for that driver until the status clears. Non-CDL work in a non-CDL vehicle isn't affected by the Clearinghouse.
MILE08YOUR ANNUAL ROUTINE
Your Clearinghouse year
- 01Before you first drive. A full query on yourself, with electronic consent, and a negative pre-employment drug test.
- 02Every year. At least one limited query on each driver, including yourself. Your C/TPA can run it once designated.
- 03When you hire a CDL driver. A full query with their consent before they drive, plus their pre-employment test.
- 04When anything is reported. Violations, refusals and return-to-duty results are reported as required; your C/TPA handles most of it.
- 05When you switch consortiums. Update the C/TPA designation the same day.
MILE09WHAT YOU NEED TO REGISTER
Have these ready
- A login.gov account. With an email address you'll keep long term.
- Your USDOT number. For the employer registration.
- Your CDL details. Number and issuing state, for the driver registration.
- A payment card. For the query plan.
- Your consortium's details. To designate it as your C/TPA. If you don't have one yet, see DOT drug testing consortium.
MILE10HOW LONG IT TAKES
How long registration takes
The registration itself usually takes well under an hour if you have everything ready: login.gov first, then the employer and driver roles, the query plan and the C/TPA designation. The pre-employment test takes longer because of the collection and the lab result, so book it as soon as you join a consortium.
Plan for all of it before your first CDL load under your own authority. Brokers and auditors can ask for proof, and driving before it's done is a violation.
MILE11THEN DISPATCH
Registered and ready to haul
With your Clearinghouse registration, consortium and pre-employment test done, our dispatch desk can start booking CDL loads. Every load is an offer you approve, and the rate con comes straight to you. Read the full owner-operator drug testing requirements, compare DOT drug test cost, budget with hotshot startup cost, or start with dispatch for new authorities. Ready to haul? Apply for dispatch.
MILE12FAQ
Clearinghouse FAQ
Q01What is driver consent in the Clearinghouse?
Before a full query, the driver must give electronic consent inside the Clearinghouse. Limited queries use a general written consent instead. Owner-operators give consent to themselves, as driver to employer.
Q02How much does a Clearinghouse query cost?
FMCSA charges $1.25 per query, bought in bundles through a query plan (checked Oct 2026). Full and limited queries cost the same.
Q03How often do I need to run a query?
A full query before a driver first drives a CDL vehicle for you, and at least one query, limited or full, every year for each driver after that.
Q04Do owner-operators need to register in the Clearinghouse?
Yes, if they need a CDL and run under their own authority. They register as an employer and as a driver, and they can designate a C/TPA to handle queries and reporting.
Q05Do non-CDL hotshot drivers need to register?
No. The Clearinghouse covers drivers who need a CDL. A non-CDL hotshot at or under 26,000 lb combined with no placarded hazmat isn't in the DOT testing program and doesn't register.
Q06What if I forget to designate my C/TPA?
Your consortium can't run queries or report for you until you do. Designate it in the employer role as soon as you enroll, and update it if you ever switch.
Q07Can my consortium register for me?
Your consortium can't create your registration, but once you register and designate it as your C/TPA, it can run queries and report for you. Many consortiums walk new clients through the steps.
Q08Do I need a new query plan every year?
Query plans are bundles of queries; buy enough to cover your drivers' annual queries plus any new hires. When the bundle runs out, buy another.
Q09What does the Clearinghouse show about me?
Drug and alcohol program violations reported by employers, MROs and others: positive tests, refusals, and actual knowledge violations, plus return-to-duty progress. A limited query only shows whether any information exists; a full query shows the details.
Q10How long do violations stay in the Clearinghouse?
Violation records stay for five years from the date of the violation, or until the driver completes the return-to-duty process and follow-up testing, whichever is later.