PennDOT to use FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse starting next week
Implementation will start Monday, August 5, 2024.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will begin using the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) starting Monday, August 5, 2024.
According to the agency, this implementation is part of a commitment to enhancing road safety and complying with federal regulations.
Key points to note:
- Starting Monday, August 5, 2024, PennDOT will query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring a commercial driver's license (CDL) or issuing, renewing, or upgrading a commercial learner's permit (CLP).
- PennDOT will not issue, renew, upgrade, or transfer a CDL or CLP for any individual prohibited from performing safety-sensitive functions due to drug and alcohol program violations. This also includes issuance of duplicate products.
- If notified that a driver is prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle due to a drug and alcohol program violation, PennDOT will initiate the downgrade process to remove the CLP or CDL privilege from the driver's license within 60 days.
- Drivers who complete the return-to-duty process before the downgrade is completed will no longer be subject to the downgrade.
PennDOT representatives shared the Clearinghouse significantly enhances road safety and helps ensure that only qualified, safety-compliant drivers are operating commercial vehicles on public roads by providing a comprehensive, real-time tool for tracking and managing drug and alcohol violations in the commercial transportation industry.
For more information about the FMCSA's Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, please visit https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/.