FRA return-to-duty
FRA SAP evaluations and return-to-duty for railroad 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 FRA covers
FRA drug and alcohol rules cover railroad safety-sensitive work.
FRA testing rules (49 CFR Part 219) apply to railroad employees and contractors who perform:
- Train and engine service, including locomotive engineers and conductors
- Train dispatching
- Signal installation and maintenance
- Maintenance-of-way (roadway) work
Step by step
The FRA return-to-duty process.
1. Removal from duty
You are removed from covered service and given a list of qualified SAPs.
2. Initial SAP evaluation
A face-to-face clinical assessment by secure video, with recommendations for education, treatment or both.
3. Education or treatment
You complete every recommendation. Your SAP confirms your participation with the program.
4. Follow-up evaluation
The same SAP confirms you complied and reports to your railroad.
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 follow-up tests in your first 12 months back, for up to five years, as your SAP directs (49 CFR 40.307).
Engineers and conductors
A violation can also affect your certification.
Locomotive engineers and conductors hold FRA-required certifications. A drug or alcohol violation can lead to suspension or revocation of that certification, separate from the SAP process.
Your railroad’s certification program and any labor agreement also apply. Your SAP can explain how the return-to-duty steps fit with them.
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.
Amtrak and other railroad employees: if your 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.
FAA: aviation
Pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, dispatchers and air traffic controllers.
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.
Railroad questions
FRA return-to-duty answers.
Will a violation affect my engineer or conductor certification?
It can. FRA certification rules treat drug and alcohol violations seriously, and your certification may be suspended or revoked. That process is separate from your SAP evaluation.
How many follow-up tests will I have?
FRA applies the 49 CFR part 40 return-to-duty and follow-up rules to railroad employees (49 CFR 219.104). Your SAP directs at least six unannounced follow-up tests in your first 12 months back on covered service, decides whether you are tested for drugs, alcohol or both, and may require testing for up to five years.
What is a follow-up SAP evaluation?
After you finish the recommended education or treatment, you meet with the same SAP again. The SAP decides whether you successfully complied.
What happens if I fail another DOT test?
A new violation removes you from covered service again and starts a new SAP process. It may also bring additional employment or certification consequences.
Can I change SAPs after I start?
Generally, no. DOT rules prohibit seeking a second SAP’s evaluation to get a different recommendation.
Does FRA cover maintenance-of-way workers?
Yes. Roadway maintenance-of-way employees are covered by FRA drug and alcohol testing, including return-to-duty and follow-up testing.
Get back to covered service 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.