Clearinghouse queries, pre-employment + annual.
Pre-employment full queries before first dispatch. Annual limited queries on every active driver. $12 per query (our fee) — you buy the FMCSA query credits in your own Clearinghouse account. We're your C/TPA at no charge: the driver approves full queries in the Clearinghouse, we run the query, and the result comes back to you.
Members order queries at members.verticalidentity.com/account · All Clearinghouse services → · Hire workflow →
Every employer must query the FMCSA Clearinghouse on every CDL driver at least once a year (49 CFR §382.701(b)(1)) — and that annual check may be a limited query, run under a driver consent that can last more than one year, which tells you only whether information exists (§382.701(b)(2)). If it does, you must run a full query within 24 hours or the driver may not perform safety-sensitive functions until you do (§382.701(b)(3)).
A limited query service means a designated C/TPA runs that annual query for you. Vertical Identity is a C/TPA, at no charge: we run the annual limited query on each driver you order it for ($12 per query, our fee; the FMCSA query credit is separate) and move a match to a full query, which the driver approves in the Clearinghouse. Any employer may designate a C/TPA for this (§382.705(c)). Sources: §382.701 · §382.705
- Driver approval goes to the driverFor full queries, the driver approves in their own Clearinghouse account — the request goes to the driver, not you
- Limited queriesA yes/no check against the database, run under the driver's consent
- Match found → full queryA limited query that shows records found moves to a full query
- Result in your portalThe result posts to your member portal
- Filed in the driver's DQFWith DQF Pro, included with membership, the query is part of each driver's file
- Yearly reminderDQF Pro reminds you when each driver's yearly Clearinghouse query is due
Full vs. limited. Hire vs. monitor.
Federal regulation defines which query type fits which moment. Full queries reveal violation details and require the driver's approval in the Clearinghouse — used for hiring. Limited queries are a yes/no check against the database — used for the annual check on existing drivers.
Full query (hiring)
Required before first dispatch of a new CDL driver. Returns violation details. Requires the driver's electronic consent in the FMCSA Clearinghouse. The result shows the violation type and date and the return-to-duty status.
Limited query (annual)
Required at least annually on every active CDL driver. Returns yes/no — match or no match. It runs under the driver's general consent, which can last more than one year; if it shows "match found," a full query (with the driver's approval in the Clearinghouse) must follow within 24 hours.
Auto-escalation
When an annual limited query shows "match found," the full query follows. It needs the driver's approval in the Clearinghouse, and until it runs the driver may not perform safety-sensitive functions.
Order. Consent. Result.
Three steps when running a full query for a new hire. Limited queries skip step 2 — they run under the driver's general consent, with no approval step in the Clearinghouse.
Order placed
You order through your member portal — a pre-employment full query for new hires, an annual limited query for active drivers. Before the first order, designate us as your C/TPA (no charge) and buy query credits in your own Clearinghouse account.
Driver consent (full only)
The driver signs in to their own Clearinghouse account with login.gov, reviews the consent and approves the query. This goes directly to the driver — never relayed through HR or the DER.
Result returned + filed
FMCSA returns the result and it posts to your member portal. A limited query that shows "match found" moves to a full query. With DQF Pro, included with membership, the query is part of the driver's file.
How much does a Clearinghouse query cost?
Member rates apply when the order is placed through your portal. Each query, full or limited, is $12 — our fee. The FMCSA query credit is separate: FMCSA requires the employer to buy credits in its own Clearinghouse account. Queries are not included in the membership; being your C/TPA is.
Two queries. One price each.
$12 for the pre-employment full query (with the driver's approval) and $12 for each annual limited query on the driver's anniversary.
Member rates shown. Want the setup done for you? The Clearinghouse Enrollment Setup is done with you on a shared screen. Membership is $85/year for an owner-operator.
Watch: the Clearinghouse full query, explained
What the full pre-employment query is under 49 CFR 382.701, how it differs from a limited query, what a hit means, and the account setup that has to come from you.
Related Clearinghouse pages
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a Clearinghouse limited query service for employers?
A service in which a designated C/TPA runs the annual limited query FMCSA requires on every CDL driver. 49 CFR §382.701(b)(1) requires employers to query the Clearinghouse at least once a year for every driver subject to testing; §382.701(b)(2) lets that be a limited query, run under a driver consent that may last more than one year, which tells the employer only whether information exists. If it does, a full query must follow within 24 hours or the driver comes off safety-sensitive work (§382.701(b)(3)). Any employer may designate a C/TPA to perform these duties (§382.705(c)). Vertical Identity acts as your C/TPA at no charge, runs the annual limited query on each driver you order it for ($12 per query, our fee; the FMCSA query credit is separate), and moves a match to a full query.
What is the difference between a full query and a limited query?
A full query returns detailed information about any drug and alcohol violations in the Clearinghouse and requires the driver's electronic consent — required before hiring any new CDL driver. A limited query only indicates whether any violation records exist, without details — used for the federally-required annual check on every current driver. If a limited query returns a "match found", you must follow up with a full query (with driver consent) within 24 hours.
How often must employers run Clearinghouse queries?
Per 49 CFR 382.701: a pre-employment full query before hiring any CDL driver, and a limited query at least once per year for every currently employed CDL driver — including yourself if you're an owner-operator. The annual query is on the anniversary of the driver's most recent query, not on a fixed calendar date.
Can a C/TPA run queries on behalf of an employer?
Yes. Once you designate Vertical Identity as your C/TPA in the FMCSA Clearinghouse portal (at no charge) and buy query credits in your own Clearinghouse account, we can run pre-employment full queries and annual limited queries on your behalf. The driver approves full queries in their own Clearinghouse account; that request goes directly to the driver. Results return to your portal.
How long does a query take?
A limited query is a yes/no check against the database. A full query waits on the driver: the driver has to approve it in their own Clearinghouse account, and that step usually sets the pace. Before either one can run, you need to have designated us as your C/TPA and bought query credits in your Clearinghouse account. We follow up with the driver until the full query is approved.
What happens if a query returns a match?
If a limited query shows "match found," a full query must be run within 24 hours, or the driver may not perform safety-sensitive functions until it is (49 CFR §382.701(b)(3)). The full query needs the driver's approval in the Clearinghouse. If the full query confirms a violation, the driver enters the SAP return-to-duty process — see /sap-program/ for that workflow.
How long are query records retained?
Per 49 CFR 382.711, employers must retain query records for 3 years for negative results and 5 years for positive results. With DQF Pro, included with membership, the Clearinghouse query is part of each driver's file, and you can export the complete file any time.
$12 per query. Every driver. Every year.
Members order pre-employment and annual queries through one portal, and we're your C/TPA at no charge. DQF Pro, included with membership, reminds you when each driver's yearly query is due.