How to Run an MVR Check on a Driver: The Employer's Step-by-Step

An MVR check is the first thing an employer does with a driver applicant and the thing most employers do slightly wrong. The record itself is simple - it is the state's transcript of the driver's license, and reading it is a separate skill covered elsewhere. The part that goes wrong is the process around it: pulling before consent, pulling from one state when the rule says every state, ordering a look-back that does not match your own hiring criteria, or letting the record sit unsigned in an inbox past the 30-day window.

This is the employer's how-to, start to finish: consent, which states, how to order, what turnaround to expect, which look-back to buy, what to do when it lands, and when to pull it again. It applies to CDL and non-CDL commercial drivers alike; the CDL-specific additions are flagged where they appear.

What an MVR check is - and what it is not

A Motor Vehicle Record is the driving record issued by a state driver-licensing agency for one license: status, class and endorsements, restrictions, medical certification (for CDL holders), convictions, accidents where the state records them, and administrative actions such as suspensions and revocations. An MVR check for employers is ordering that record with the driver's permission and reviewing it against your criteria and the federal disqualification rules in §391.15.

Three things it is not. It is not a multi-state search - one MVR covers one state, which is why CDLIS exists for CDL holders. It is not a crash and inspection history - that is the PSP report, a federal record. And it is not a criminal check. For where each fits, see PSP vs MVR vs CDLIS.

Step 1: Get the driver's consent in writing

Two federal laws sit between you and the record. The Driver's Privacy Protection Act controls what the state may release: an employer may obtain a CDL holder's record to meet its Part 391 obligations under 18 USC §2721(b)(9), and any requester may obtain a record with the individual's written consent under §2721(b)(13). The Fair Credit Reporting Act controls how you use it: an MVR obtained through a screening company for a hiring decision is a consumer report, so §1681b(b)(2) requires a clear written disclosure in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, plus the driver's written authorization, before the report is procured.

15 USC §1681b(b)(2)(A) - an employer may not procure a consumer report for employment purposes unless a clear and conspicuous disclosure has been made in writing to the consumer, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, and the consumer has authorized in writing the procurement of the report.

The practical rule: one stand-alone consent page, signed and dated before you order, kept with the file. A signature line buried in the application is not enough. For drivers who apply by mail, phone, or online and never meet you in person, the FCRA's trucking-specific provision (§1681b(b)(2)(B)) allows the disclosure and consent to be given orally, in writing, or electronically. Sample language and the retention rule are in the DPPA and FCRA consent guide.

Step 2: List every state you have to pull from

The pre-employment rule is not "pull the current state." It is every state.

49 CFR §391.23(a)(1) - an inquiry, within 30 days of the date the driver's employment begins, to each driver's licensing authority where the driver held or holds a motor vehicle operator's license or permit during the preceding 3 years, to obtain the driver's motor vehicle record covering the prior 3-year driving history.

You find the states from two sources. The §391.21 application must list the driver's residence addresses for the prior three years and every unexpired CMV license or permit - a move across a state line inside that window means a second MVR. For CDL holders, run a CDLIS check as well: it lists every state where the driver has held a CDL, and it is the way to catch a license the application forgot. The current licensing state also matters for a separate reason - for CDL drivers, §391.23(m)(2) requires the CDLIS MVR from that state to verify the driver's self-certification and medical status before dispatch. The CDLIS vs MVR guide covers the difference.

Step 3: Order the record - state DMV or a screening service

You can go to each state yourself or send one order to a screening service. Both produce the same record; the difference is who carries the accounts, forms, and consent handling.

Going direct makes sense for a large fleet in one or two states that pulls records every week. For everyone else the accounts, the state-specific forms, and the mailed paper are the cost. FastDriverScreening's MVR Basic is $40 flat for a single-state record with no per-state surcharge; the $60 MVR + CDLIS package adds the cross-state CDL check that tells you which other states to pull. State fees themselves vary - our state MVR pages list the issuing agency, typical fee, and look-back for all 50 states plus DC.

Step 4: Know what turnaround to expect

Turnaround is decided by the issuing state, not by whoever orders. Most states now return commercial driving records electronically within minutes of a valid request. A handful still process manually - the site's state pages flag New Hampshire and West Virginia, among others - and those can take a full business day or more, longer at peak season. States that mail certified paper copies take longer still.

Plan around the slow end. The 30-day clock in §391.23(b) starts on the day employment begins, and it is a filing deadline, not a permission to wait: the record drives the hiring decision, so the sensible sequence is consent signed, order placed the same day, record read before the offer. Never let a driver's first dispatch depend on a record that has not arrived.

Step 5: Pick the look-back - 3-year, 5-year, or full record

FMCSA's floor is a three-year record for pre-employment and at least the prior 12 months for the annual pull. States decide what they sell above that. Many return exactly three years to employers; some return four, five, or seven; a few sell a "complete" or lifetime record on request. What you get by default is the state's standard employer record, and the look-back is printed on the report.

Order longer than three years when your written hiring criteria reach further - a five-year DUI rule is common, and insurers frequently underwrite on five years - and when the driver's history has gaps you want to see across. Order the standard three-year record when the criteria you actually apply fit inside it; a longer record you do not use is a longer record you have to justify not acting on. Whatever you order, apply the same window to every applicant for the same job.

Step 6: Read it, sign it, file it

The record is not done when it lands. Someone with a name has to review it, and the review has to be visible in the file.

• Check the identification block against the application, then license status - SUSPENDED, REVOKED, CANCELLED, DISQUALIFIED, or EXPIRED stops the process under §391.15 and §391.11.
• Classify each conviction: §383.51 major offenses and serious traffic violations carry federal disqualification periods; everything else is measured against your own criteria. The MVR violation decision tree walks the classification.
• For CDL holders, confirm the medical certification status and self-certification type on the CDLIS MVR.
• Sign and date the review, then place the MVR and the review in the DQ file within 30 days of the start date (§391.23(b), §391.51(b)(2)). Keep it for as long as the driver works for you plus three years (§391.51(c)).

If the record leads you to withdraw an offer, the FCRA adverse-action sequence applies - pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, then the adverse-action notice - or the three-business-day post-decision notice for remote applicants. How to handle a failed pre-employment screening covers it step by step.

Step 7: Pull it again every 12 months

The MVR check is annual, not one-and-done. §391.25 requires an inquiry at least once every 12 months to each state where the driver held a CMV license or permit during the period, covering at least the prior 12 months, plus a review of that record against §391.15 by a named person, with a signed and dated note in the file. Miss the anniversary and the file is out of compliance the next day. The annual driver record review checklist is the 30-minute version; the $60 Annual Refresh package pairs the yearly MVR with the Clearinghouse limited annual query so both recurring items close on the same day.

The mistakes that show up in audits

• Pulling only the current state on a driver who moved in the last three years.
• Ordering before the consent is signed, or on a generic release folded into the application.
• Treating the MVR as the whole pre-hire screen on a CDL driver - the Clearinghouse pre-employment query and, in most fleets, CDLIS and PSP still have to happen.
• Filing the record without a reviewer's signature and date, which is a §391.25(c)(2) violation on the annual pull and an unanswerable question on the pre-hire one.
• Letting the 30-day documentation window lapse because the record was ordered late from a slow state.
• Purging the file when the driver leaves instead of holding it three more years.

Frequently asked questions

What is an MVR check for employers?

An MVR check is an employer ordering a driver's official state driving record - license status, class and endorsements, convictions, accidents, suspensions - with the driver's written consent, and reviewing it against 49 CFR §391.15 and the company's own hiring criteria. For commercial drivers it is required before hire from every state of licensure in the prior three years and again every 12 months.

Do I need the driver's permission to run an MVR check?

Yes. The Driver's Privacy Protection Act governs the state's release of the record and the Fair Credit Reporting Act governs its use in a hiring decision. You need a stand-alone written disclosure and the driver's signed authorization before the report is ordered; drivers who apply remotely by mail, phone, or online may consent orally or electronically under the FCRA's trucking provision. Keep the signed consent with the driver's file.

How much does an MVR check cost?

State record fees vary from a few dollars to roughly $25 depending on the issuing agency. Through FastDriverScreening a single-state MVR is $40 flat with no per-state surcharge (MVR Basic), $60 with the CDLIS cross-state check (MVR + CDLIS), and the $60 Annual Refresh bundles the yearly MVR with the Clearinghouse limited annual query. Pulling direct from a state DMV costs only the state fee but requires your own account and forms.

How long does an MVR check take?

Most states return commercial driving records electronically within minutes of a valid request. A few still process records manually and can take a business day or more, especially during peak periods, and mailed certified copies take longer. Because the pre-employment MVR must be in the driver qualification file within 30 days of the start date, order it the day the driver signs consent rather than waiting until dispatch.

How far back does an MVR check go?

FMCSA requires a record covering the prior three years for pre-employment and at least the prior 12 months for the annual review. What the state actually returns varies: most issue a three-year record to employers, some return four to seven years, and a few sell a complete record on request. The look-back is printed on the report, and employers should apply the same window to every applicant for the same position.

How often do employers have to run an MVR check?

Before hire, and then at least once every 12 months for as long as the driver is employed. 49 CFR §391.25 requires the annual inquiry to each state where the driver held a CMV license during the period, a review of the record against §391.15 by a named person, and a signed, dated review note in the driver qualification file. Many carriers also re-pull after a reported citation or crash under their own policy.