The DOT return-to-duty process, step by step
Federal rule requires every safety-sensitive employee with a DOT drug or alcohol violation to complete the SAP process before returning to duty — with any DOT-regulated employer, not just the one where the violation happened.
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1
Schedule
You contact us — no employer referral is required. We confirm we can serve your state, explain the fee, and book your initial evaluation. Intake paperwork is sent to you securely through practiceQ.
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2
Initial evaluation
A face-to-face clinical evaluation, in person or by real-time video. We discuss the violation, your history, your health and your circumstances. This is a clinical conversation, not an interrogation, and it usually takes about 90 minutes.
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3
Education and/or treatment
You receive an individualized recommendation — education, treatment, or both — along with referrals to qualified providers. The recommendation is made for your situation; it is never a pre-set package, and we do not provide or sell the education or treatment we recommend.
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4
Follow-up evaluation
Once you complete what was recommended, we meet again. We verify with your provider that you participated, and we determine whether you have successfully complied with the recommendation.
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5
Compliance documentation
We provide the reports 49 CFR Part 40 requires to your employer's designated employer representative, along with a written follow-up testing plan — at least six directly observed tests in the first 12 months, within a plan that may run up to 60 months. For FMCSA-regulated drivers, we make the required Clearinghouse entries.
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6
Return-to-duty process
The remaining steps belong to your employer: deciding whether to return you to duty, arranging the directly observed return-to-duty test, and administering the follow-up testing plan. A SAP does not clear anyone for safety-sensitive work — we determine compliance and document it.
Ready to start?
Send a request and we'll call you back, usually within one business day.