Barrs Tightens Clearinghouse Checks at Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The federal motor carrier safety administration said on April 27, 2026, that Medical Review Officers, Substance Abuse Professionals, third-party administrators and employers will now have to take additional steps to verify their identities in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The change targets the online database used by employers, law enforcement and state agencies to identify drivers barred from driving because of drug or alcohol violations.
Derek Barrs, the FMCSA administrator, said the agency is moving to tighten the system because the data behind it has to stay secure and accurate. FMCSA said the new process will use IDEMIA, the same system the Department of Homeland Security uses at airports across the country.
Derek Barrs and the Clearinghouse
Barrs said, “Safety is non-negotiable at FMCSA, and that means ensuring the systems we rely on are secure, accurate, and trustworthy.” He also said, “By strengthening identity verification, we are closing gaps that could be exploited by bad actors, protecting the integrity of the data, and reinforcing confidence across the entire commercial driver safety industry.”
The new requirements apply only to Medical Review Officers, Substance Abuse Professionals, third-party administrators and employers for now. FMCSA said CDL holders are already verified through state systems, and it said future phases will extend the new requirements to most other users.
Motus and FMCSA Portal accounts
The identity-check announcement fits into FMCSA’s broader rollout of Motus, its new registration system. The agency conducted a soft launch of Motus in December 2025, and it is currently limited to transportation service providers, BOC-3 filers and financial responsibility filers.
Earlier in April 2026, FMCSA told motor carriers and other registered entities to make sure their FMCSA Portal accounts are active and accurate before the system goes live. The agency said motor carriers should check that the correct Portal Company Official is listed and that business information is updated.
FMCSA plans to open Motus to all users, including motor carriers, sometime in 2026. It said the goal is to streamline registration actions, improve fraud prevention and give supporting companies, motor carriers, brokers and other registrants a more intuitive online dashboard.
For users now pulled into the new identity-check process, the immediate step is to complete the additional verification in the Clearinghouse. For the rest of the industry, the larger shift is already visible: FMCSA is moving registration and identity controls toward a single system before the full Motus rollout later in 2026.
