SAP Questions & Answers for Employees and Employers

A SAP is a qualified individual who evaluates employees who have violated a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug or alcohol regulation. The SAP recommends appropriate education, treatment, and follow-up testing to help the employee return to safety-sensitive duties.

SAP services are required for employees, such as CDL drivers and other DOT-regulated positions, who have failed or refused a mandated drug or alcohol test. This process ensures they meet all federal requirements before resuming safety-sensitive work.

The SAP cost is $550. Flexible payment options (including split payments) are available at check-out. 

*This does not include the cost of education and/or treatment assigned by the SAP. You will pay these fees directly to the group providing those services. 

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As of November 18, 2024, the FMCSA Clearinghouse II final rule states that drivers in a "prohibited" status must complete the return to duty process per (49 CFR Part 40) or risk losing their commercial drivers license through their state licensing agency.

CDL holders are tracked through the FMCSA Clearinghouse, which monitors violations and compliance. Completing the return-to-duty process quickly ensures you maintain your credentials and livelihood.

Yes! In addition to CDL holders, we assist FAA employees, pipeline workers, Coast Guard personnel, transit rail, and more. Our services are available to any DOT-regulated individual who requires SAP evaluations and compliance assistance.

You can schedule an initial SAP appointment using our online booking system. All appointments are virtual, making it easy to access our services nationwide.

If you need additional information or assistance, feel free to contact us. Our team is here to guide you every step of the way!

DOT doesn’t specify who must pay for SAP services. As an employer, you can decide if you will pay for these services or not.

The process can take as little as 1-2 weeks, but depending on the employee, it could be much longer. The SAP must first conduct an extensive initial evaluation. The SAP will then develop a plan for treatment and education, and do a final evaluation to verify that the employee has complied with the plan.

$550.  This does not include the required treatment and/or education. These costs are paid to the treatment provider directly.

DOT rules prohibit a SAP from determining that an employee does not need treatment or education. The SAP must make a recommendation for treatment or education or both.

DOT gives full authority to a SAP to make decisions that are therapeutically appropriate. DOT also has made it very clear that a SAP’s primary responsibility is to protect the safety of the traveling public. A SAP’s recommendation stands and no one can change it. Neither employers or employees are permitted to seek another assessment from a second SAP.

You must wait until you receive the SAP’s follow-up evaluation report stating that the employee has complied with the treatment and/or education

No. Employment decisions are up to you. The SAP is required to report to you that the employee has or has not complied with the recommendation. 

DOT doesn’t specify who must pays for these tests. As an employer, this is a decision is yours. You can decide to pay for all of the follow-up tests, or you may split the cost with the employee, or you may pass the entire cost along to the employee. The company must have a written policy stating who will pay for follow-up testing. 

No. Reimbursement for follow-up tests cannot interfere with the tests being conducted. If you notify an employee of a follow-up test, the employee must immediately go. If an employee does not go for the test, you can call this a refusal to be tested, which is a violation and now requires a new SAP assessment and return-to-duty process.

No. The regulations give the SAP complete authority over the follow-up testing plan. An employer cannot increase (or decrease) the SAP’s recommended number of tests.

You are responsible for having documentation of the employee’s negative return-to-duty test and all follow-up tests that were ordered by the SAP. You must obtain all of this information from the previous employer. If they do not have them, they will have to start over. DOT requires an employer to keep all return-to-duty documentation for 5 years, even if the tests are negative.