MVR in trucking: the driving record checks at hire and every year
By Edwin Horton · Updated
MVR stands for motor vehicle record, the state's official report of a person's driving history: license status, convictions, suspensions, and in many states, accidents. For a trucking company, the MVR isn't optional reading. Federal rules require carriers to check it at hire and again every year, and to keep proof in each driver's qualification file.
Those rules apply to drivers of commercial motor vehicles, which includes many non-CDL trucks of 10,001 lb or more in interstate commerce Commercial motor vehicle (FMCSRs)10,001 lb GVWR/GCWR or more, in interstate commerce49 CFR 390.5: a vehicle used in interstate commerce with a GVWR or GCWR (or actual weight) of 10,001 lb or more is a commercial motor vehicle for the safety regulations, including driver qualification, hours of service and inspection rules, whether or not the driver needs a CDL.49 CFR 390.5Checked Oct 2026, not only CDL drivers.
For the testing side of hiring CDL drivers, see our guide to a DOT drug testing consortium.
The driver file, with the MVR checks highlighted
- FILE 1
Application
Signed, with 3 years of accidents, violations and employers.
- FILE 2
MVR at hire
3 years of history from every state that licensed the driver, within 30 days of hire.
- FILE 3
Previous employer checks
3-year safety performance history, plus Clearinghouse for CDL drivers.
- FILE 4
Road test
Certificate, or an accepted equivalent such as a CDL.
- FILE 5
Medical certificate
Current examiner's certificate, generally every 24 months.
- FILE 6
Annual MVR and review
New MVR every 12 months, reviewed, with the reviewer's name and date.
The MVR rules, in one table
| MVR check | Rule | Timing | Who keeps it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving record from every state that licensed the driver in the past 3 years | 49 CFR 391.23(a)(1) Hiring inquiries: MVR and previous employersMVR covering 3 years from every licensing state, and a 3-year safety performance check with prior DOT employers, both within 30 days of hire49 CFR 391.23: within 30 days of the start of employment, obtain the driver's motor vehicle record for the prior 3 years from each state that licensed the driver, and investigate safety performance history (accidents and, for drivers in testing programs, drug and alcohol violations) with DOT-regulated employers from the past 3 years. Since January 6, 2023, FMCSA-regulated employers use the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for the FMCSA part of that drug and alcohol history.49 CFR 391.23Checked Oct 2026 | Within 30 days of the start of employment | Driver qualification file |
| Annual MVR covering at least the past 12 months | 49 CFR 391.25(a) Annual driving record inquiry and reviewAt least every 12 months: get each driver's MVR and review it, with the reviewer's name and date in the file49 CFR 391.25: at least once every 12 months the carrier obtains each driver's MVR covering the preceding 12 months, reviews it to decide whether the driver meets minimum requirements for safe driving or is disqualified under 391.15, giving great weight to violations such as speeding, reckless driving and impaired driving, and keeps the MVR and a note with the reviewer's name and date in the qualification file.49 CFR 391.25Checked Oct 2026 | At least every 12 months | Driver qualification file |
| Annual review of the record against safe-driving standards and disqualifications | 49 CFR 391.25(b) | At least every 12 months | Note with reviewer's name and date in the file |
| Keep the qualification file | 49 CFR 391.51 Driver qualification fileApplication, MVRs, road test, annual MVR review, medical certificate (and more) for every driver49 CFR 391.51(b) lists what each driver's qualification file must hold, including the employment application, MVRs from each licensing state, the road test certificate or equivalent, the annual MVR inquiry and review note, and the medical examiner's certificate.49 CFR 391.51Checked Oct 2026 | While employed and 3 years after | Carrier |
What you must look for
The annual review isn't a formality. You must decide whether the driver meets minimum requirements for safe driving or is disqualified, and give great weight to violations like speeding, reckless driving and driving under the influence that show disregard for public safety.
Disqualifications to catch. A suspended, revoked or denied license disqualifies a driver until it's restored. Convictions for listed offenses in a CMV, such as impaired driving, leaving the scene of an accident or a felony involving a CMV, disqualify for one year on a first offense and three on a repeat. Out-of-service order violations and repeat texting or hand-held phone convictions also disqualify for set periods Driver disqualificationLoss of license, listed offenses (1 year first, 3 years repeat), out-of-service order violations, repeat texting or hand-held phone violations49 CFR 391.15: a disqualified driver may not drive a CMV and a carrier may not let them. Grounds include loss of driving privileges, on-duty offenses such as impaired driving, leaving the scene of an accident or a felony involving a CMV (1 year for a first offense, 3 years for a repeat within 3 years), violations of out-of-service orders (90 days to 1 year for a first), and repeat texting or hand-held phone convictions (60 days for a second within 3 years, 120 days for a third).49 CFR 391.15Checked Oct 2026.
Patterns, not just single tickets. Several speeding convictions in a year, or a string of minor accidents, may not disqualify a driver under federal rules but tell you something about risk. Your insurer will likely look at the same record.
Gaps and mismatches. Compare the MVR with the application. A state the driver didn't list, or a conviction they didn't mention, deserves a conversation.
How small fleets order MVRs
Most carriers order MVRs either directly from the state licensing agency, often through a commercial account, or through a vendor that pulls records from many states. Requirements and fees differ by state, so check your state's licensing agency for its process. If you use a background screening company, federal consumer reporting rules may require the driver's written consent and specific notices before you pull the report and before you act on it; ask your vendor what it requires.
Set a reminder for each driver's annual date. Many small fleets pull all drivers' MVRs in the same month each year, so nothing slips.
EXAMPLE A three-truck dry van carrier pulls annual MVRs in January. One driver's record shows two speeding convictions in the past year, neither in a CMV and neither disqualifying. The owner notes the review in the file, talks with the driver about speed, and checks the truck's telematics speed reports monthly for the rest of the year.
The MVR inside the hiring file
A clean MVR gets a driver to the next step, not hired; our truck driver recruiting guide covers the full qualification file. Driver records also affect insurance and safety scores; the CSA score estimator shows how inspections and violations add up. For keeping records organized as you add drivers, see truck fleet management. And if you're bidding for dedicated trucking contracts, expect shippers to ask how you qualify and review drivers.
This page summarizes federal rules in general terms; it isn't legal advice. Check your state's requirements and your insurer's driver standards too.
MVR questions
01What is an MVR in trucking?
A motor vehicle record: the state's report of a driver's license status, convictions, suspensions and often accidents. Carriers use it to qualify drivers and to review them every year.
02How often do trucking companies check MVRs?
At hire, covering the previous 3 years from each state that licensed the driver, and then at least once every 12 months for every driver the carrier employs.
03What disqualifies a truck driver on an MVR?
A suspended, revoked or denied license disqualifies a driver until it's restored. Convictions for offenses such as impaired driving in a CMV, leaving the scene of an accident or a felony involving a CMV disqualify for set periods, as do out-of-service order violations and repeat texting or hand-held phone convictions.
04How far back does an MVR go for trucking?
The hiring rule asks for 3 years of driving history. The annual check covers at least the previous 12 months. How far back a state's record shows depends on the state.
05Do I need an MVR for a non-CDL box truck driver?
If the truck is a commercial motor vehicle under the federal definition (for example, 10,001 lb or more and used in interstate commerce), driver qualification rules apply, including the MVR checks, even when no CDL is needed.
06Can a driver with tickets still be hired?
Often, yes. Federal rules require you to review the record and give great weight to serious violations. Beyond the disqualifying offenses, your own hiring standards and your insurer's requirements decide.