DOT Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse FAQ
Table of Contents
Getting Started
You must stop performing DOT-regulated safety-sensitive duties immediately.
Under 49 CFR Part 40, you must complete the DOT return-to-duty process before you can perform safety-sensitive work again.
This includes an initial SAP evaluation, any required education and/or treatment, a follow-up evaluation, and a negative return-to-duty test.
For FMCSA-regulated CDL and CLP holders, the violation is also recorded in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Your status will remain prohibited until the required return-to-duty steps are completed and reported.
No, you cannot continue working in a DOT-regulated safety-sensitive position.
Your employer may allow you to work in a non-safety-sensitive role while you complete the SAP process.
However, DOT regulations do not require the employer to offer another position or keep you employed.
Even if your employment ends, you must complete the return-to-duty process before performing safety-sensitive work for another DOT-regulated employer.
The DOT SAP process does not have one set timeline.
Many workers can complete the process within about one week when the SAP recommends education and the required documentation is received quickly. Others may take several weeks or longer when counseling or treatment is required.
We may have same-day or next-day initial appointments available. However, we cannot guarantee the date you will be cleared for return-to-duty testing before completing the evaluation.
We charge a $450 fee for the DOT SAP process.
The fee includes the initial SAP evaluation, the follow-up evaluation, required documentation, and return-to-duty eligibility reporting.
There are no separate administrative or documentation fees for these services.
Education, counseling, treatment, the return-to-duty test, and follow-up tests are not included because those services are provided or arranged separately.
We also offer Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay financing options, to eligible clients, allowing you to begin with a payment of $112.
The DOT return-to-duty process includes the following steps:
- Stop performing DOT-regulated safety-sensitive duties.
- Select a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).
- Complete the initial SAP evaluation.
- Complete the required education and/or treatment.
- Attend a follow-up SAP evaluation.
- Receive a determination of successful compliance from the SAP.
- Complete a directly observed return-to-duty test through an employer or authorized C/TPA.
- Receive a negative drug test result and/or an alcohol result below 0.02.
- Complete the SAP’s follow-up testing plan after returning to safety-sensitive work.
Completing the process makes you eligible to return to duty. However, your employer makes the final decision about whether to place you back in a safety-sensitive position.
The SAP Process & Requirements
A DOT SAP evaluation is a clinical assessment required after a DOT-regulated employee violates federal drug or alcohol rules.
During the evaluation, we review the violation, your drug and alcohol history, previous education or treatment, and other information related to public safety.
We then recommend the education and/or treatment you must complete. The evaluation is the first step in the return-to-duty process, but it does not by itself clear you to return to work.
During the initial SAP evaluation, you meet privately with our DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional for a comprehensive clinical assessment.
We will ask about the reported violation, your drug and alcohol history, previous treatment or education, health history, work history, and other relevant personal factors. We may also use assessment tools.
The evaluation is not another drug test. Its purpose is to help us determine the education and/or treatment you must complete before a follow-up evaluation.
You should have a government-issued photo ID, information about the violation, and the contact details for your employer or designated employer representative.
You may also need paperwork from your employer or Medical Review Officer. FMCSA-regulated CDL drivers must designate us as their SAP in the Clearinghouse before we can enter the required information.
For an online evaluation, use a private location and a device with reliable internet, a camera, and a microphone.
Our DOT SAP evaluations are conducted by Graham Sargent, CEAP, CADC-III-ICADC, IS, SAP.
Graham has more than 14 years of experience working with safety-sensitive employees and people affected by substance use.
He has completed more than 4,000 DOT SAP evaluations since 2018.
His credentials include Certified Employee Assistance Professional, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Intervention Specialist, and DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional.
Your employer may provide a list of DOT-qualified SAPs who are readily available and acceptable to them, but this is not always the case. It is common for employers not to supply a list, and you are not required to wait for one before taking action.
You can begin the return-to-duty (RTD) process on your own by finding a qualified SAP. If you choose a provider independently, confirm that the SAP meets DOT qualifications and that your employer will accept them before scheduling.
Keep in mind that not all counselors or treatment providers are DOT-qualified—only those who meet specific SAP requirements can perform a valid DOT SAP evaluation.
No, DOT regulations do not allow you to obtain a second SAP evaluation simply because you disagree with the first recommendation.
Under 49 CFR Part 40, Sections 40.295 and 40.297, an employee, employer, managed-care provider, or service agent cannot replace or change the recommendation made by the original SAP.
If we are your original SAP, we may modify our recommendation when new or additional information becomes available.
Employment & Future Career
Yes, a DOT drug or alcohol violation can affect your current job and future employment.
DOT regulations require your immediate removal from safety-sensitive duties. They do not require your employer to keep you employed, pay for the SAP process, or hire you back after you complete it.
Future DOT-regulated employers may review required drug and alcohol records. FMCSA-regulated employers must also check the Clearinghouse before allowing a CDL or CLP holder to perform safety-sensitive work
Yes, a failed or refused DOT test can affect your commercial driving privileges.
FMCSA-regulated CDL and CLP holders with an unresolved violation receive a prohibited status in the Clearinghouse. State Driver Licensing Agencies must remove or deny commercial driving privileges while the driver remains prohibited.
After a negative return-to-duty test is reported, your Clearinghouse status can change to not prohibited. Your state may still require additional steps before restoring the commercial portion of your license.
No, DOT regulations do not require your employer to pay for the SAP process or hire you back.
An employer, union agreement, health plan, or employee assistance program may cover some of the evaluation, education, or treatment costs.
However, payment is decided between the employer and employee.
Completing the return-to-duty process makes you eligible for consideration. The employer still decides whether to return you to a safety-sensitive position.
We share the information required to document the return-to-duty process.
The written reports we send to your employer’s designated employer representative include the violation, our education and/or treatment recommendation, whether you successfully complied, and the follow-up testing plan. The report is not a word-for-word transcript of the evaluation.
For FMCSA-regulated CDL drivers, we report the date of the initial assessment and the date you become eligible for return-to-duty testing to the Clearinghouse.
Clearinghouse & Regulations (For FMCSA Drivers)
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure federal database for CDL and CLP drug and alcohol violations.
It contains positive DOT test results, refusals, and information about a driver’s return-to-duty process and follow-up testing plan.
Employers use Clearinghouse queries to determine whether a driver is prohibited from performing safety-sensitive functions. Drivers can also view their own records at no cost.
A violation record remains available for at least five years.
FMCSA keeps the record for five years from the date of the violation or until you successfully complete the return-to-duty process and follow-up testing plan, whichever is later.
Completing the initial SAP process does not immediately remove the violation when the follow-up testing plan is still open.
Your FMCSA Clearinghouse record is not public.
You can view your own record at no cost.
Current and prospective employers may obtain required information through Clearinghouse queries and must obtain the consent required for the type of query being conducted.
FMCSA, State Driver Licensing Agencies, and authorized enforcement personnel may also access the information for official purposes.
Yes, you can request a correction when information in your Clearinghouse record is inaccurate.
Examples include an incorrect date, wrong identifying information, or a return-to-duty milestone that was not reported correctly. FMCSA provides a formal record-correction process under the Privacy Act.
However, the correction process cannot be used to challenge the scientific validity of a verified test result or overturn a properly determined refusal.
You can begin the DOT SAP evaluation and complete the required education or treatment without a current employer.
FMCSA-regulated CDL drivers without a current or prospective employer may register in the Clearinghouse as an owner-operator and designate a consortium/third-party administrator for the limited purpose of arranging the return-to-duty test and reporting a negative result.
After you return to a safety-sensitive position, your employer must administer the follow-up testing plan we establish.
Treatment & Follow-up
A DOT SAP evaluation is required for a safety-sensitive employee who commits a covered DOT drug or alcohol violation.
This includes commercial drivers, aviation employees, railroad workers, public-transit employees, pipeline workers, and maritime personnel regulated by a DOT agency.
You must complete the SAP and return-to-duty requirements before performing DOT-regulated safety-sensitive duties again.
DOT violations include a verified positive drug test, an alcohol test result of 0.04 or higher, a refusal to test, and an adulterated or substituted specimen.
A refusal can include failing to appear for a test, leaving before the test is complete, failing to cooperate with the testing process, or failing to provide an adequate specimen without a valid medical explanation.
Your employer or Medical Review Officer should tell you which violation was reported.
No, a DOT violation does not automatically mean that you will be placed in a treatment program.
Under 49 CFR Part 40, we must recommend education and/or treatment for every violation. Our recommendation depends on the results of your individual clinical assessment.
We may recommend a verifiable education course for some workers. Others may need counseling, outpatient treatment, or a higher level of care.
You cannot return to DOT-regulated safety-sensitive duties.
A positive result or refusal on a return-to-duty test is another DOT violation. You must complete the SAP and return-to-duty requirements for the new violation before you can become eligible again.
Your employer may also take disciplinary or employment action under its company policies.
You must complete at least six unannounced follow-up tests during the first 12 months of active safety-sensitive duty.
We may require more than six tests and may continue the testing plan for up to five years. We decide the number and frequency, while the employer selects the actual test dates.
The schedule is not provided to you in advance. If you change employers, the unfinished follow-up testing plan follows you to the next DOT-regulated employer.
About American River Wellness
Yes, we provide secure online DOT SAP evaluations to clients nationwide.
Under 49 CFR Part 40, Section 40.291, a remote SAP evaluation must use real-time audio and video. The connection must also allow the SAP to complete the same clinical assessment that would occur during an in-person appointment while protecting confidentiality.
Before scheduling, we confirm your physical location and the credentialing requirements that apply to the evaluation. You will need a private location, reliable internet, and a device with a camera and microphone.
Yes, we follow the SAP and return-to-duty procedures in 49 CFR Part 40.
Our process includes a comprehensive initial evaluation, an individualized education and/or treatment recommendation, a follow-up evaluation, written reports to the employer’s designated representative, and a follow-up testing plan.
The DOT does not approve individual SAP providers. The correct term is DOT-qualified SAP.
No, we work with both DOT-regulated and non-DOT employees across a wide range of industries.
This includes safety-sensitive workers regulated by the FMCSA, FAA, FRA, FTA, PHMSA, and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as non-DOT employees in most industries who may still need evaluations or compliance support.
The return-to-duty process for DOT-regulated employees is based on 49 CFR Part 40, but reporting and agency-specific requirements can vary depending on your role and industry.
Yes, we may offer same-day or next-day virtual appointments, including some evenings and weekends.
Our availability depends on the day, your location, the DOT agency involved, and whether the required intake information is ready. Call or text us at 916-282-0866 to confirm the earliest appointment.
An early appointment can help you begin sooner. However, it does not mean that the complete return-to-duty process will be finished the same day.
Yes, language assistance may be available during the DOT SAP process.
We may be able to arrange assistance for Spanish, Punjabi or Hindi, Russian or Uzbek, and Turkish.
Tell us which language you need when scheduling so we can confirm availability before the appointment.
Still Have Questions?
We’re here to help you understand your return-to-duty requirements and get back to work.