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FMCSA Updates to DOT Downgrades

Written by Holly Rainwater | Mar 18, 2024 2:17:56 PM

Effective immediately, FMCSA no longer accepts requests to convert a DOT drug test to a non-DOT test. However, if a violation has been incorrectly reported to the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse based on a non-DOT drug test, or a DOT drug test that should have been processed as non-DOT, a petition to request correction of the driver’s Clearinghouse record may be submitted through FMCSA’s DataQs system: https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/.  

Detailed instructions on how to file a petition are available here:  https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/content/resources/Clearinghouse-Submit-Data-Review-Petition.pdf

If a test result has not been entered into the Clearinghouse, then the employer can make the determination without consulting with FMCSA.  The employer should create a record of the justification that would be available upon request in the event of a future inspection.

In either case, there is no need to contact the laboratory that reported the result, or to request the laboratory to re-report the result as non-DOT. 

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