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An initial motor vehicle report (MVR, also known as a driving record) must be placed in the driver’s qualification file within 30 days of the date on which the driver’s employment begins. This MVR must be obtained from every state in which the driver held a motor vehicle operator’s license or permit within the past three years. If an MVR cannot be obtained, then the employer must maintain documentation of its “good faith effort” to obtain the information.
A copy of each MVR, or response that a record does not exist, must be kept in the driver’s qualification file for the course of employment and for three years after it ceases.
The regulations also require a motor carrier to obtain an MVR on each driver each following year, covering the past 12 months. These annual MVRs must be request at least every 12 months, but a carrier could choose to request MVRs more frequently. These annual MVRs must be retained in the DQ file for a minimum of three years from the date they were generated.
MVRs for CDL/CLP drivers. For interstate drivers who hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP), an MVR must be used to verify that the driver is medically certified. This means an MVR must be obtained prior to the driver operating a commercial motor vehicle, and a new MVR must be obtained after each DOT medical certification. MVRs obtained to verify medical certification can also be used to satisfy the requirements noted above for initial and annual MVRs if the MVR date is within 365 days of the prior MVR.