MVR & CDLIS on every lease application
Reviewed by Korey Sharp-Paar · Updated
Truck and trailer leasing companies sit upstream of the §391 driver-qualification file. The lessor doesn’t maintain the DQ file - but every lease underwriting decision benefits from a $50 MVR pull that catches the license-action and DUI events a credit report cannot see. Fast Trucking Compliance sells per-application MVRs at $50 and full pre-employment bundles at $175, with no monthly contract or per-seat license.
Why a leasing company runs MVRs
A lease underwriter looks at three risk surfaces: business credit (D&B, Equifax, paydex), payment history on prior equipment leases (UCC + bureau), and the driver record on the named operator. The first two are well-served by standard B2B credit pulls. The third - the driver record - is the surface that most heavily correlates with both lessor physical-damage claim frequency and the lessee’s ability to perform under the lease at all. A suspended CDL means the lease cannot operate. An MVR pull catches that before the equipment leaves the yard.
For a single-truck owner-operator lease, the named driver is the lessee. For a fleet lease where a motor carrier is the lessee, MVR pulls typically run on the listed primary operator and any personal guarantors. CDLIS adds the multi-state license check - useful when the carrier’s state of registration differs from the operator’s home state.
Where the lessor sits in the §391 chain
49 CFR §391.11 places driver qualification on the "motor carrier" - the regulated entity holding operating authority. The lessor is the equipment provider, not the carrier. So the lessor’s MVR pull is for the underwriting decision, not for the §391 file. The lessee maintains the §391 file on every driver they put behind the wheel of the leased equipment. Read the §391.23 pre-employment checklist for the downstream carrier-side process the lessee has to run.
If your lease structure pulls you into the §391 motor-carrier role - trip-leasing, leasing-on, leasing under your own DOT - the responsibility shifts and the DQ File vs MVR comparison explains the difference.
The DPPA permissible purpose
Equipment-finance underwriting is one of the DPPA-enumerated permissible purposes (18 USC §2721(b)(1) - "use by any government agency... or by any private person or entity acting on behalf of a Federal, State, or local agency" covers regulated FMCSA-adjacent uses; (b)(3) covers business verification). Most state DMVs require the same FCRA-style standalone disclosure and written consent that motor carriers use; the Fast Trucking Compliance order form collects those consent fields in one packet for lease applicants.
What our service covers
- State MVR (3-year history) on the named operator or guarantor
- Optional CDLIS cross-state CDL/CLP lookup (MVR + CDLIS package, $25 more than the MVR alone)
- FCRA + DPPA consent collected with the order
- PDF delivered by email; timing depends on the issuing state
- Per-application invoicing - receipt attached to the lease file
- No platform fee, no monthly minimum
How long screening takes
Timing depends on the state for the MVR, CDLIS, and PSP. The Clearinghouse query also waits on the driver’s consent. Reports arrive by email as PDFs when those sources deliver them.
Pricing for leasing companies
Pay per application. No platform fee, no minimum.
| Package or add-on | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Packages (one per order, per driver) | ||
| MVR Basic | Motor Vehicle Record (state DMV) | $50 |
| MVR + CDLIS | Motor Vehicle Record (state DMV) + AAMVA CDLIS cross-state CDL check | $75 |
| DOT Hire-Ready | Motor Vehicle Record (state DMV) + AAMVA CDLIS cross-state CDL check + FMCSA PSP (5-yr crash + 3-yr inspection history) | $100 |
| DOT Pre-Employment | Motor Vehicle Record (state DMV) + AAMVA CDLIS cross-state CDL check + FMCSA PSP (5-yr crash + 3-yr inspection history) + 12 months of Clearinghouse query management | $175 |
| Annual Refresh | Motor Vehicle Record (state DMV) + AAMVA CDLIS cross-state CDL check + 12 months of Clearinghouse query management | $150 |
| Optional add-ons | ||
| DQ File Template | Fillable PDF + editable Word §391.51 driver qualification file template | $25 |
| Clearinghouse employer account setup | Help registering your company as an employer in the FMCSA Clearinghouse | $150 |
| Clearinghouse driver account setup | Help the driver register in the FMCSA Clearinghouse to give consent | $125 |
| Clearinghouse query management, 12 months (1 driver) | Pre-employment and annual limited queries for 1 driver, 12 months | $100 |
| Clearinghouse query management, 12 months (2-4 drivers) | Pre-employment and annual limited queries for 2-4 drivers, 12 months | $225 |
| Clearinghouse query management, 12 months (5-14 drivers) | Pre-employment and annual limited queries for 5-14 drivers, 12 months | $400 |
Each package is one flat price per driver with no per-state surcharge. Optional add-ons are separate line items, shown before you pay.
You can also order records directly: an MVR from the state DMV, a PSP report from FMCSA, and Clearinghouse queries in your own FMCSA Clearinghouse employer account. The reports are records, not a hiring recommendation: the motor carrier reviews them and makes the qualification decision under 49 CFR Part 391.
Order driver screeningLeasing-company FAQs
Do equipment lessors have to pull MVRs on the carriers they lease to?
No federal rule places §391 on the lessor when the lessee is the motor carrier of record. But the lessor is typically the underwriting party - pulling MVR + CDLIS on the named drivers (or the owner-operator named on the lease) is standard credit/risk diligence, on the same footing as a UCC search and a D&B pull. The MVR is the one document that catches a license-action event credit reports never surface.
What does the MVR add to a lease underwriting decision?
Three signals a lease underwriter cares about: license status (a suspended CDL means the lessee cannot legally operate the leased equipment), conviction pattern (repeat moving violations correlate with claim frequency on the lessor's physical-damage and liability covers), and DUI/refusal events (a §391.15 disqualifier means the named driver cannot legally hold the CDL - the lease cannot perform). All three drop out of a $50 MVR pull.
How does this work for owner-operator leases vs fleet leases?
For owner-operator leases (single-truck, the lessee IS the driver), pull MVR + CDLIS on the lessee. For fleet leases (the lessee is a motor carrier with multiple drivers), pull on the listed primary operator and any guarantors. The MVR is for the underwriting decision; the lessee remains responsible for the §391 driver qualification file on every driver they put behind the wheel of the leased equipment.
Other industries we screen
You might also need
- UCR registration for lessor - UCR registration
- Form 2290 HVUT for tractor units - Form 2290
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.