Driver DOT Requirements Parts 382, 390, 391
Stay ahead of every driver’s CDL, medical card and drug testing requirements
Compliant Fleet tracks the dates that keep drivers legal to drive, keeps the records FMCSA asks to see, and tells you and your drivers before anything lapses.
What are a driver’s ongoing DOT requirements?
After hire, a CDL driver must keep a valid license and a current medical examiner’s certificate, which lasts up to 24 months. The carrier must review the driver’s MVR every 12 months, query the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse every year, include the driver in random drug and alcohol testing, and record any DOT-recordable accidents in its accident register.
Driver DOT Requirements features
CDL and medical certificate
Know which drivers are legal to drive today
Keep the full history of each driver’s CDL and medical certificates, with one marked as the current record. The dashboard shows expired documents, items inside their warning window and the share of drivers who are fully compliant.
- CDL number, state and expiration on every driver
- Medical certificate history with the current certificate marked
- Urgent alerts for expired and expiring items
Annual MVR review §391.25
Annual MVR reviews with a paper trail
Record each review of a driver’s motor vehicle record: who reviewed it, violations and points found, whether the record is acceptable, and when the next review is due. Attach the MVR itself so it travels with the DQ file.
- Overdue, due soon and current counts at the top of the page
- Violations and points recorded with each review
- A next due date for every driver
Drug and alcohol program Part 382
Your drug and alcohol records in one place
Log pre-employment, random, post-accident and other tests with their results. Keep a Clearinghouse query log with next due dates. Draw random selections each quarter from your eligible pool, and export the annual MIS report.
- Test records by driver, type, date and result
- Clearinghouse queries with standing and next due date
- Quarterly random selection and annual MIS report export
Compliant Fleet keeps the records. Collections, lab testing and consortium services still come from your testing provider.
Accident register §390.15
An accident register that explains itself
Record each DOT-recordable accident with the date, driver, location, vehicle, injuries, fatalities and hazmat release. The form explains what counts as recordable, links the post-accident drug and alcohol test, and shows how long each record must be kept.
- A three-year view by default, with older records one checkbox away
- Attachments and a link to the post-accident test
- Filter by date range and driver, then export
Reference
Driver requirements and how often they come due
| Requirement | Regulation | How often | In Compliant Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical examiner’s certificate | §391.45 | Up to every 24 months, or sooner if the examiner sets a shorter term | Certificate history, expiration alerts and driver notices |
| CDL | State licensing agency | On the state’s renewal cycle | Expiration tracking with alerts |
| Annual MVR and review | §391.25 | At least every 12 months | MVR review records with next due date |
| Clearinghouse query | §382.701 | Full query before hire, then at least once a year | Query log with next due date |
| Random drug and alcohol testing | §382.305 | Selections spread through the year | Quarterly random selection from your eligible pool |
| MIS report | §382.403 | Each calendar year, when FMCSA requests it | Annual MIS report export |
| Accident register | §390.15 | Keep each record 3 years | Accident register with a three-year default view |
A summary for reference, not legal advice. Drug and alcohol rules in Part 382 apply to CDL drivers. Check the current text at eCFR, 49 CFR Part 382. Last reviewed September 24, 2026.
Questions
Driver DOT requirement questions
How often does a truck driver need a new DOT medical card?
A medical examiner’s certificate is valid for up to 24 months (§391.45). The examiner can certify a driver for a shorter period, often one year, to monitor a condition. Compliant Fleet tracks the actual expiration date on each certificate and warns you and the driver before it lapses.
What is the annual Clearinghouse query?
Carriers must query the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse at least once a year for every CDL driver they employ (§382.701(b)), in addition to a full query before hire (§382.701(a)). Compliant Fleet keeps a log of each query with its date, type and next due date, and flags drivers who are coming due.
What counts as a DOT-recordable accident?
Under §390.5, a DOT-recordable accident involves a commercial motor vehicle on a public road and results in a fatality, an injury treated away from the scene, or a vehicle towed away because of disabling damage. Carriers keep an accident register of these for three years (§390.15). Compliant Fleet’s accident form explains the definition on screen.
Is Compliant Fleet a drug testing consortium or TPA?
No. Compliant Fleet keeps your drug and alcohol program records: test results, Clearinghouse queries, random selections and the annual MIS report. Collections, lab testing, MRO review and consortium membership still come from your testing provider.
What is a DOT MIS report?
The Management Information System (MIS) report summarizes a carrier’s drug and alcohol testing for a calendar year. FMCSA can require a carrier to submit it (§382.403). Compliant Fleet exports an annual MIS report from the test records you keep in the app.
Do drivers get reminders too?
Yes. Along with office digests, drivers receive their own notices by email and in the app when their CDL, medical certificate or other documents are about to expire.
Also in Compliant Fleet
Never miss another medical card.
Set a warning window once and Compliant Fleet tells you and the driver in time to renew.