"Do I need to pay $1.25 for every driver, every year?"
We get this question every day. The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is mandatory, but the rules for how you check it differ based on when you are checking.
Mix them up, and you either waste money or face a violation during a New Entrant Audit. Here is the simple breakdown every Safety Director needs.
1. The "Full Query" (Pre-Employment)
- WHEN: Before you hire a new driver.
- COST: $1.25 (Paid to FMCSA).
- CONSENT: Electronic (Driver must login to Clearinghouse).
The Rule: You cannot put a driver behind the wheel until you run this. It reveals detailed information about drug/alcohol violations. Because it reveals details, the driver must log in to their own Clearinghouse account to approve it. You cannot automate this.
2. The "Limited Query" (Annual)
- WHEN: Once every 365 days for current drivers.
- COST: $1.25 (Paid to FMCSA).
- CONSENT: Paper or Digital Form (Outside Clearinghouse).
The Rule: This simply checks "Is there information in the database?" (Yes/No). It does not reveal details. Because it's less intrusive, the driver DOES NOT need to log in to the Clearinghouse.
Instead, you just need a signed consent form on file. This is what QuickConsent automates.
The Compliance Trap
Most fleets fail audits on the Limited Query because they lose the paper consent forms.
You run the query in the FMCSA dashboard, everything looks green, and you forget about it. Six months later, an auditor asks: "Show me the signed permission slip for that query."
If you can't produce it, that valid query becomes a violation.
Don't let a missing paper ruin your audit.
Use QuickConsent to generate, sign, and store your Annual Limited Query consents instantly.
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