DOT Return-to-Duty Eligibility: How to Verify You Are Cleared to Drive

If you are a CDL driver or any employee in a DOT safety-sensitive role who has completed the return-to-duty process after a drug or alcohol violation, this is important to review. Even when everything seems complete, a few critical steps and common pitfalls can determine whether you are truly cleared to return to work.

Step 1: Check the Clearinghouse Dashboard

Even after you have:

1. Completed your Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) evaluation
2. Passed your return-to-duty (RTD) drug or alcohol test
3. Been told by your employer that you are cleared

You are not officially eligible to return to duty until your Clearinghouse dashboard reflects that status.

Your employer must log into the FMCSA Clearinghouse and enter the date they received your negative return-to-duty test result. Once that happens, your status will change from ineligible to eligible.

Do not return to safety-sensitive work until you confirm this yourself. If your dashboard still shows ineligible, you are not legally permitted to operate a commercial vehicle, even if all other steps are complete.

Step 2: Understand Your Follow-Up Testing Plan

After returning to duty, you will be subject to unannounced follow-up drug or alcohol testing. Important points to understand:

1. The SAP who evaluated you creates the follow-up testing plan
2. Tests are unannounced and may occur at any time
3. The plan can last up to five years

If you test positive during a follow-up test, it is treated as a new violation and the entire SAP process must start again from the beginning.

A second violation also means you will need to find another SAP willing to evaluate you. This is not guaranteed, as some SAPs choose not to work with drivers who have repeat violations.

Continuing Care Considerations

As part of the evaluation, the SAP may recommend continuing care such as counseling, support groups, or other services to support long-term recovery.

These recommendations may be included in a return-to-work agreement, but the SAP who performed the evaluation does not monitor ongoing care. Oversight of continuing care is typically handled internally by the employer.

For employers and SAPs, this is where clear internal policies matter. It is important to:

1. Define who monitors continuing care
2. Document expectations in policies and statements of understanding
3. Apply procedures consistently

Final Thoughts

Returning to duty after a DOT violation is a significant step. Staying compliant depends on understanding who is responsible for each part of the process.

One simple rule can prevent major problems: always verify your Clearinghouse dashboard before returning to safety-sensitive work. That confirmation protects your license, your job, and your future.