FAA return-to-duty
FAA SAP evaluations and return-to-duty for aviation employees.
Virtual DOT SAP evaluations throughout New York State, plus New Jersey, Georgia and Massachusetts. Appointments are generally available within 24–48 hours once payment and required paperwork are complete, subject to availability.
Who the FAA covers
FAA drug and alcohol rules cover safety-sensitive aviation work.
FAA testing rules (14 CFR Part 120) apply to employees of airlines, charter and air tour operators, repair stations and contract air traffic facilities who perform:
- Flight crewmember and flight attendant duties
- Flight instruction and aircraft dispatch
- Aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance
- Ground security coordination and aviation screening
- Air traffic control
Step by step
The FAA return-to-duty process.
1. Removal from duty
You are removed from safety-sensitive aviation duties and given a list of qualified SAPs.
2. FAA reporting
If you hold an FAA medical certificate, your violation is reported to the FAA within 2 working days. Pilot violations are also entered in the Pilot Records Database.
3. Initial SAP evaluation
A face-to-face clinical assessment by secure video, with recommendations for education, treatment or both.
4. Education or treatment
You complete every recommendation, then return to the same SAP for a follow-up evaluation.
Return-to-duty test
Your employer directs a return-to-duty test. Drug results must be negative and alcohol below 0.02.
Follow-up testing
At least six unannounced tests in your first 12 months back on duty, for up to five years, as your SAP directs.
Pilots and medical certificate holders
Completing the SAP process is not FAA medical clearance.
If you hold an FAA medical certificate, completing the SAP process does not by itself restore your medical certificate. You may also need FAA medical clearance before you can use your certificate again.
Refusals to test by holders of pilot, mechanic and other FAA certificates are reported to the FAA as well. Your SAP can explain how the two processes fit together.
Complete DOT SAP Professional Services — $500 + $18.15 Administrative Fee
Total payable: $518.15. One package covers the professional SAP services for both stages of the evaluation process—the initial evaluation and the follow-up evaluation—not just one appointment.
The professional services package includes:
- Initial DOT SAP clinical evaluation.
- Initial evaluation report and required reporting to the appropriate recipient.
- Individualized education or treatment recommendations.
- Assistance with an appropriate secondary referral when needed.
- Follow-up SAP clinical evaluation after the required recommendations are completed.
- Follow-up evaluation report and applicable reporting.
- FMCSA Clearinghouse initial and follow-up reporting when the driver’s case is subject to Clearinghouse requirements.
External education, treatment, laboratory testing, return-to-duty testing and third-party services are separate. Professional findings are individualized and never guaranteed.
Scheduling and paperwork
- Submit your SAP inquiry.
- Our office follows up on inquiries by the next business day.
- Pay the full professional SAP fee ($518.15 total).
- Once payment is confirmed, you receive immediate access to the required assessment forms.
- Payment starts scheduling for the next available evaluation appointment.
- Your evaluation cannot proceed until you finish and submit the required paperwork.
- Appointments are generally available within 24–48 hours once these steps are complete, subject to availability.
Scheduling and the evaluation are separate steps: payment lets us schedule your appointment, but the evaluation itself takes place only after your paperwork is complete. The full DOT return-to-duty process—education or treatment, your follow-up evaluation and the employer-controlled return-to-duty test—takes longer than 24–48 hours.
If your employer’s employee assistance program is through Revive (formerly BHS), you might be eligible to have your SAP services covered. Proactive Wellness is a contracted Revive provider: call Revive at 800-327-2251 and ask for Nikita Banks, LCSW, SAP by name, or ask us to help you check.
Other DOT agencies
Return-to-duty guidance for every DOT agency.
All DOT SAP services
Pricing, scheduling and the full return-to-duty process for every DOT agency.
FMCSA: commercial drivers
CDL truck and bus drivers, school bus and passenger carriers.
FRA: railroads
Engineers, conductors, dispatchers, signal and maintenance-of-way workers.
FTA: public transit
Bus, subway and light-rail operators, dispatch, maintenance and armed security.
PHMSA: pipelines
Covered pipeline and LNG operations, maintenance and emergency response.
USCG: maritime
Credentialed mariners and crew in safety-sensitive vessel positions.
Aviation questions
FAA return-to-duty answers.
Is my violation reported to the FAA?
If you hold an FAA medical certificate, verified positive drug tests, alcohol violations and refusals are reported to the FAA within 2 working days. Refusals by other FAA certificate holders are reported too. Pilot violations are also entered in the Pilot Records Database.
Does completing the SAP process restore my medical certificate?
No. The SAP process makes you eligible for return-to-duty testing under DOT rules. Medical certificate holders may also need separate FAA medical clearance.
What happens during my initial SAP evaluation?
Your SAP completes a clinical assessment of your situation and substance-use history, then recommends education, treatment or both. The initial evaluation alone does not make you eligible to return to duty.
What happens after the initial evaluation?
You complete the recommended education or treatment, then return to the same SAP for a follow-up evaluation. If you complied, your employer can arrange your return-to-duty test.
Who decides what education or treatment I need?
Your DOT-qualified SAP, based on your evaluation and DOT requirements. The SAP cannot promise a recommendation before evaluating you.
Can my SAP guarantee how long treatment will take?
No. The time depends on the services recommended and your participation.
Get back to safety-sensitive aviation work the right way.
Your first inquiry is free. Appointments are generally available within 24–48 hours once payment and your required paperwork are complete, subject to availability.