What is the difference between MVR and PSP?
An MVR is the state DMV record of the driver's license-eligible convictions and license actions; PSP is the FMCSA federal record of the driver's last 5 years of roadside inspections and last 3 years of crash data, sourced from MCMIS. Carriers run both because they answer different §391.23 questions.
MVR is state-by-state. The carrier orders one MVR per state where the driver held a license during the prior 3 years; each MVR returns convictions, suspensions, withdrawals, and license-status events on file at that state DMV. MVR reflects what a court reported back to the DMV — not necessarily what happened on the road.
PSP is federal and driver-centric. One PSP report covers every roadside inspection on the driver during the last 5 years (across every employer, state, and jurisdiction) plus every reportable DOT crash during the last 3 years. PSP reflects what the inspector observed on the road, regardless of whether the carrier was cited or any conviction followed.
In practice, MVR catches license-action events (DUI conviction, suspension for failure to pay, etc.) that a roadside inspector would never see. PSP catches HOS, pre-trip, and equipment-violation patterns that never become a court case. Together they cover the full §391.23(d) "driver investigation" surface.
Both require driver consent. MVR is governed by the DPPA + state DMV access rules; PSP is governed by the FMCSA PSP MOU + FCRA. The FastDriverScreening DOT Pre-Employment package bundles both consents on a single intake so the carrier can fan out MVR + CDLIS + PSP + Clearinghouse from one signature.