MVR (Motor Vehicle Record)
A Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) is the official driving-history report a state DMV maintains on a licensed driver, listing license status, endorsements, accidents, citations, suspensions, and any administrative action taken against the license.
What it is
An MVR is pulled from the issuing state's Department of Motor Vehicles (or its licensing equivalent - DPS, DOL, MVA, BMV depending on the state). It is the single source of truth for whether a license is currently valid and what is on the driver's history within the state's look-back window. Most states return three to seven years of activity on a standard MVR; a handful (Texas, Pennsylvania, New York) return longer histories on request. Records typically include accident codes, conviction codes, and the action taken - fine, suspension, revocation, withdrawal - for each event.
How it applies
For motor carriers, the MVR is the document FMCSA §391.23 requires within 30 days of hire and §391.25 requires annually for the life of the driver's employment. It goes into the Driver Qualification File and gets reviewed by a designated company official to confirm the driver still meets §391.15 minimum requirements. For owner-operators applying for new authority, the MVR is part of the proof that the responsible carrier official is qualified to operate. For brokers and freight forwarders vetting a carrier's drivers, an MVR is the cleanest single document showing whether a CDL is current and clean.
Why it matters
A missing or stale MVR is one of the most common findings in a §391 compliance audit, and the fines for missing DQ File documents start at $1,331 per driver per violation under FMCSA civil-penalty schedules. Beyond audit risk, an MVR is the paper trail that protects a carrier from negligent-hiring liability - if a driver had a recent suspension or DUI on their license and the carrier never pulled the record, plaintiff's counsel will use that gap in litigation.
Related terms
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