Abbreviation: MVR
Motor Vehicle Record
An official record issued by a state motor vehicle agency showing a driver's licensing history, violations, accidents, and CDL information.
Carriers must obtain an initial MVR from each state where a new CDL driver was licensed in the past 3 years, and an annual MVR from each state where the driver is or was licensed in the past 12 months.
Initial vs. annual MVR inquiry
At hire, carriers must obtain an MVR from every state where the new driver held a CDL or driver's license in the past 3 years. This initial inquiry covers a wider window to capture violations from any state. Ongoing, an annual MVR is required from each state where the driver held a license during the past 12 months. Most continuing drivers have only one state to query annually; the hire inquiry usually covers more.
What carriers review on the MVR
Carriers review the MVR for disqualifying offenses under 49 CFR 383.51 (DUI/DWI, leaving the scene, felony in a CMV), serious traffic violations (speeding 15+ mph over the limit, reckless driving, improper lane changes), and patterns of minor violations that suggest risk. The annual review must be documented in the DQ file with a supervisor's signature certifying that the record was evaluated.
Last updated: June 4, 2026
When this definition matters
This term usually matters when a driver, owner-operator, or small carrier is deciding whether a federal rule applies, preparing a compliance file, or checking a state CDL step. Use this definition as a starting point, then confirm the controlling requirement in the official source listed below before making a licensing, hiring, dispatch, or recordkeeping decision.
The related terms above are included because they often appear in the same compliance workflow. Reviewing them together can prevent common mix-ups, such as treating a state licensing step as a federal carrier obligation or confusing a driver record with a separate employer record.