FMCSA Clearinghouse Update: One in 30 CDL Drivers Is in Prohibited Status

The FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse was designed to close a critical gap in trucking safety. Before 2020, drivers who failed or refused drug and alcohol tests could move between carriers without their violations following them. The Clearinghouse created a centralized system to track these violations, and the June 2025 report shows just how essential this database has become.

As of July 1, 2025, more than 190,000 CDL drivers are in prohibited status. These drivers still hold commercial licenses, but they cannot legally perform safety-sensitive functions, including driving. For carriers, this presents a significant compliance risk that requires consistent monitoring to avoid putting prohibited drivers behind the wheel.

To put this in perspective, one in every 30 CDL holders registered in the Clearinghouse is currently prohibited from driving. Among the 5.6 million registered drivers, more than 304,000 have at least one violation on record — that’s one in 19 drivers with a documented drug or alcohol violation in their history.

The Current State of Prohibited Drivers

Since its launch, the Clearinghouse has logged over 304,000 drivers with at least one drug or alcohol violation. The breakdown reveals concerning patterns:

• 62% of drivers with at least one drug or alcohol violation remain in prohibited status
• Nearly 148,000 of these drivers haven’t started the return-to-duty (RTD) process
• Only 114,000 of drivers have completed the return-to-duty process and are cleared to drive again

The concentration of violations should particularly concern carriers operating in high-volume states. Texas alone accounts for over 30,000 violations, while California has 22,622, and Florida has 17,733. Together, these three states represent nearly a quarter of all prohibited drivers nationwide.

Source: FMCSA Clearinghouse June 2025 Report

Understanding the Violations

The substances driving these prohibitions have remained consistent since the Clearinghouse launched. The 2025 data shows:

• Marijuana: 16,746 positive tests year-to-date, representing just over 60% of all drug violations. Despite state-level legalization in many areas, marijuana remains federally prohibited for CDL holders and continues to be the leading cause of driver disqualification.
• Cocaine: 4,484 positive tests, making it the second most common violation.
• Methamphetamine: 2,107 positive tests. This stimulant has shown relatively steady numbers year over year, remaining the third most common violation and representing a persistent challenge in certain regions of the country.
• Amphetamine: 1,800 positive tests. While some amphetamine use may stem from prescribed medications like Adderall, CDL holders must have valid prescriptions and proper medical review officer (MRO) verification to avoid violations.
• Other substances: Opioids and other drugs typically account for only a few hundred cases annually.

Alcohol violations, while still reported, occur far less frequently than drug violations. The persistence of marijuana as the primary violation source reflects the ongoing challenge carriers face in managing federal requirements that conflict with changing state laws.

The Query Requirement and Compliance Gaps

Current DOT Clearinghouse regulations require employers to:

• Run a full query before hiring any CDL driver
• Conduct a limited query on every CDL driver at least once every 365 days

However, relying solely on these minimum requirements creates substantial risk. A driver could fail a test shortly after their annual query and remain in your fleet for months before the next required check reveals their prohibited status.

The scale of enforcement activity underscores this risk. Employers are running over 500,000 queries each month, and still finding prohibited drivers. In June 2025 alone, employers conducted nearly 608,000 total queries, demonstrating the ongoing need for vigilance.

Yet, despite five years of mandatory compliance, Clearinghouse-related violations consistently account for four of the top 10 FMCSA audit findings. Common violations include:

• Failure to run pre-employment queries
• Missing annual query deadlines
• Not registering in the Clearinghouse system
• Allowing drivers to operate before query results are complete

These violations account for approximately 15% of all findings during FMCSA investigations, indicating widespread compliance challenges across the industry.

Financial and Operational Impact

The consequences of employing a prohibited driver extend beyond regulatory penalties:

• Direct Costs: Clearinghouse violations typically result in penalties ranging from $7,000 to $10,000 per violation.
• CSA Score Impact: Violations negatively affect your Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores, potentially triggering additional scrutiny and focused investigations.
• Liability Exposure: If a prohibited driver is involved in an accident, the carrier faces severe legal and financial consequences that can threaten business viability.
• Business Relationships: Shippers and brokers regularly review safety ratings and compliance records. A pattern of Clearinghouse violations can damage your reputation and limit business opportunities.

Implementing an Effective Clearinghouse Program

Successful compliance requires more than meeting minimum requirements. Carriers with strong safety records have implemented comprehensive programs that include:

• Automated query scheduling to ensure no deadlines are missed. Manual tracking systems are prone to human error, while automated systems provide consistent monitoring.
• Increased query frequency beyond the annual minimum. Some carriers run monthly or quarterly queries to identify prohibited drivers quickly.
• Proper consent documentation for every query, maintained in organized files that are readily available for audit review.
• Integration with broader safety programs, using Clearinghouse data as part of a comprehensive approach to driver management and safety culture.

Whether managed internally or through a compliance service provider, consistency and thoroughness are essential. The Clearinghouse database updates daily as drivers enter and exit prohibited status, making regular monitoring critical for maintaining compliance.

Taking Control of Your Compliance

The June 2025 Clearinghouse report underscores a fundamental challenge: more than 190,000 CDL holders are prohibited from driving today, yet they retain their commercial licenses and continue seeking employment. Without diligent query practices, any of these drivers could end up in your fleet.

Carriers that treat Clearinghouse compliance as an annual checkbox exercise face the highest risk. The database changes daily, with drivers moving in and out of prohibited status based on violations, testing results, and RTD completions. Annual queries alone leave carriers exposed for the majority of the year.

In contrast, carriers that implement proactive monitoring systems — with frequent queries, thorough documentation, and integrated safety processes — maintain better compliance records and reduce their exposure to prohibited driver risks.

The Clearinghouse provides the data needed to keep prohibited drivers off the road, but its effectiveness depends entirely on how carriers use it. With proper systems and consistent monitoring, the Clearinghouse becomes a powerful tool for protecting your operation, your drivers, and the motoring public.

At US Compliance Services, our team can assist with everything from initial registration through ongoing compliance. If you’re ready to strengthen your Clearinghouse program, or need help recovering from a violation, let’s talk about how we can protect your operation.