Glossary · updated October 31, 2026
49 CFR §391.51
Also known as: Driver Qualification File Contents, FMCSA §391.51
By Korey Sharp-Paar · Reviewed by the Fast Trucking Compliance team
Definition
49 CFR §391.51 is the FMCSA regulation that lists the documents every motor carrier must keep in each driver’s Driver Qualification (DQ) file and how long each is kept. §391.51(b) covers the driver’s application (§391.21), the MVR from every state where the driver held a license in the prior three years (§391.23(a)(1)), the road test certificate or accepted equivalent, each annual MVR and the note on the annual review (§391.25), the medical examiner’s certificate and the note verifying the examiner is on the National Registry, and any SPE certificate or medical exemption. The driver’s annual list of violations (former §391.27) dropped out when FMCSA removed that section effective May 9, 2022. Previous-employer records belong in the separate §391.53 file. Each missing or expired document is a separate citable violation in an audit.
Authoritative source
49 CFR §391.51 - General requirements for driver qualification files
Read more
DQ File Checklist (§391.51)Every document required in a Driver Qualification File, in the order to file them, with the federal authority for each item under 49 CFR §391.51.
Related terms
- DQ File(Driver Qualification File)
- 49 CFR §391.23(Investigation and Inquiries)
- 49 CFR §391.25(Annual MVR Inquiry and Review)
- MVR(Motor Vehicle Record)