How Long Do Violations Stay on the FMCSA Clearinghouse?

The FMCSA Clearinghouse was designed to prevent commercial drivers from hiding failed drug tests by jumping from employer to employer. But does a single mistake haunt you forever? Fortunately, the answer is no—but the timeline depends entirely on your actions.

The Standard 5-Year Rule

By federal law, a drug or alcohol violation will remain in the Clearinghouse database for 5 years from the date of the violation.

After 5 years, the violation is automatically removed from the Clearinghouse, and employers will no longer be able to see it when they run pre-employment or annual queries. However, this 5-year timeline is conditional.

What Employers See During the 5 Years

While the violation remains visible for 5 years, the Clearinghouse displays your current status. This is critical for getting hired.

• Prohibited: You have not completed the RTD process. No employer can legally let you drive.
• Not Prohibited (Follow-Up Testing): You have completed the SAP program, passed your RTD test, and are cleared to drive while completing unannounced follow-up tests.
• Not Prohibited (Completed): You have completed the SAP program and finished all follow-up testing. The violation is simply "aging" until the 5-year mark.

Can I Pay to Have it Removed Faster?

No. There is no legal way to "expunge," "delete," or "pay off" an FMCSA Clearinghouse violation before the 5-year mark (unless the violation was reported in error, which requires a formal dispute process). Anyone or any website offering to erase your Clearinghouse record for a fee is running a scam.