Previous Employer Inquiry
A written investigation of a new CDL driver's safety performance history with prior DOT-regulated employers covering the past 3 years, required by 49 CFR 391.23.
Inquiries must be sent within 30 days of the driver's start date. Responses (and documentation of non-responses) must be kept in the DQ file.
What must be requested from previous employers
For each prior DOT-regulated employer listed on the driver application in the past 3 years, the carrier must request the driver's safety performance history, including: DOT-recordable accidents, positive drug or alcohol test results, refusals to test, and any CDL disqualifications. Requests must be made in writing. The 30-day window to send inquiries runs from the driver's start date, not the offer date or background check initiation. Previous employers must respond within 30 days of receiving the request.
Documenting non-responses
Previous employers are required to respond but frequently don't, especially smaller carriers or those no longer in business. The hiring carrier must keep a copy of the inquiry letter and document that it was sent. FMCSA guidance allows good-faith efforts — a copy of the letter plus evidence of sending (certified mail receipt, email delivery confirmation) — to satisfy the requirement even without a response. Note: effective January 6, 2023, a Clearinghouse full query also satisfies this requirement for violations recorded in the Clearinghouse.
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.