Compliance FAQ
What shows on a Motor Vehicle Record?
A state MVR returns the driver's license status (valid, suspended, revoked, expired), license class and endorsements, conviction history (typically the prior 3 years), license-action events (suspensions, withdrawals, disqualifications), and identifying information. It does NOT include roadside inspections (those are on PSP) or drug-and-alcohol violations (those are in the FMCSA Clearinghouse).
Reviewed by Korey Sharp-Paar · Updated
Why does it matter?
The MVR is the state DMV record of license-eligible events. License status is the headline: a valid Class A CDL with no restrictions reads "ELIGIBLE / VALID"; a suspended license reads "SUSPENDED" with a reason code. The hire/keep decision starts there.
Conviction history covers moving violations the courts reported back to the DMV. Typical 3-year window for non-CDL drivers; many states return 3-5 years for CDL drivers and offer extended-history products (5, 7, or 10 years) for an additional fee. The §391.23(a) pre-employment investigation requires the prior 3 years across every state where the driver held a license.
License actions are the disqualifier signal. A §391.15 disqualifier (DUI, refusal, controlled-substance offense, hit-and-run, felony involving the vehicle) shows as a license-action event with a reason code. Some states surface the underlying conviction; others surface only the resulting license action.
What the MVR does NOT show: FMCSA roadside inspection events (those live on the PSP report sourced from MCMIS), reportable DOT crashes that did not result in a state-level conviction (also PSP), and FMCSA Clearinghouse drug-and-alcohol violations (those require the §382.701 Clearinghouse query). A complete §391.23 packet runs all four - MVR + CDLIS + PSP + Clearinghouse.
Order driver screening
We order the driver records you choose from the issuing state, AAMVA and FMCSA, with the driver consents collected at checkout, and email you the reports as PDFs. From $50 (MVR Basic) to $175 (DOT Pre-Employment).
Independent screening service operated by Fast Filing Group LLC. Not affiliated with FMCSA, USDOT, AAMVA, any state DMV or any government agency.