Clearinghouse vs. PSP Reports
Both are essential for pre-employment screening of CDL drivers — but they cover entirely different records. Here's exactly what each report contains and when you need them.
Drug & Alcohol Violations
- ✓Positive DOT drug test results
- ✓DOT alcohol test results ≥0.04
- ✓Refusals to test (including no-shows)
- ✓Actual knowledge violations
- ✓Return-to-duty test results
- ✓Follow-up testing completion status
- ✓Real-time data — updated continuously
- ✓Available since January 6, 2020
Crash & Inspection History
- ✓5-year crash history from MCMIS
- ✓3-year roadside inspection history
- ✓Out-of-service violations
- ✓BASIC (Behavior Analysis & Safety Improvement) data
- ✓Inspection violations by category
- ✓Severity weights per violation type
- ✓Not a real-time database — monthly updates
- ✓Covers commercial vehicle activity only
What Each Report Cannot Tell You
Clearinghouse Does NOT Contain
- • Crash history or driving record
- • Non-DOT drug test results
- • MVR or traffic violations
- • Violations before January 2020
- • Employer termination information
PSP Does NOT Contain
- • Drug or alcohol test history
- • Crashes in personal vehicles
- • State traffic violations (MVR)
- • Data older than 5 years (crashes) / 3 years (inspections)
- • Employment history or terminations
Bottom Line: Pull Both
The Clearinghouse tells you if a driver has drug or alcohol violations on their federal record. The PSP tells you if they've been in crashes or cited repeatedly during roadside inspections. Neither overlaps with the other — and a complete CDL pre-employment screening should include both, plus an MVR from the state DMV.
Do It Right Screening can coordinate all three components — Clearinghouse query, PSP report, and state MVR — as part of a single DOT pre-employment package.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a federal database that tracks DOT drug and alcohol program violations for CDL drivers. Employers must query the Clearinghouse before hiring a CDL driver and annually for current CDL drivers. It contains positive test results, refusals, and return-to-duty status since January 6, 2020.
What is a PSP report?
A Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) report is provided by the FMCSA and contains a commercial driver's 5-year crash history and 3-year inspection history from the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). It is not required by federal regulation but is strongly recommended for pre-employment screening of CDL drivers.
Is a Clearinghouse query required for every CDL hire?
Yes. Under 49 CFR §382.701, motor carriers must conduct a full Clearinghouse query before hiring any CDL driver. Additionally, annual limited queries are required for all current CDL drivers. Drivers must provide electronic consent for full queries. Failure to query is a federal violation.
Does the Clearinghouse replace the previous employer drug test inquiry?
Partially. As of January 6, 2023, a full Clearinghouse query satisfies the requirement to contact previous employers for drug and alcohol violation history going back to January 2020. Employers must still contact previous DOT-regulated employers for violations that predate the Clearinghouse (pre-2020), but in practice, most hiring focuses on the Clearinghouse data.
Need a Complete CDL Pre-Employment Package?
We handle Clearinghouse queries, PSP reports, MVR checks, and DOT drug testing as a single coordinated package.