Compliance
DVIR requirements: the FMCSA rules for driver vehicle inspection reports
By the CheckBadges team · Updated · 6 min read
The short answer
Under 49 CFR 396.11, a driver must prepare a written or electronic driver vehicle inspection report at the end of each day's work on each vehicle, but only when a defect or deficiency was found or reported. The carrier must repair safety defects and certify the repair before the vehicle runs again, and keep the reports for three months. Carriers running only one vehicle are exempt.
Key takeaways
- A DVIR is due at the end of each day's work, for each vehicle driven, when a defect is found or reported.
- No defects, no report: since 2014 for property carriers and since September 2020 for passenger carriers.
- The carrier repairs safety defects and certifies the repair before the vehicle runs again.
- Keep the DVIR, the repair certification and the driver's review for three months.
- Electronic DVIRs are explicitly allowed, spelled out by an FMCSA rule in 2026.
What a DVIR is and who needs one
A driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) is the driver's report on a commercial motor vehicle at the end of the day's work. 49 CFR 396.11(a)(1): "Every motor carrier shall require its drivers to report, and every driver shall prepare a report in writing at the completion of each day's work on each vehicle operated." It's a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule, not an OSHA one.
It applies to motor carriers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). 49 CFR 390.5 defines a CMV as a vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce that:
- has a gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight rating or actual weight of 10,001 pounds or more;
- is designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers, including the driver, for compensation;
- is designed or used to carry more than 15 passengers, including the driver, not for compensation; or
- carries hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placards.
States set the rules for purely intrastate traffic, often by adopting the federal ones, so check yours.
What the DVIR must cover and include
The report covers at least 11 parts and accessories (396.11(a)(1)):
- service brakes, including trailer brake connections;
- parking brake;
- steering mechanism;
- lighting devices and reflectors;
- tires;
- horn;
- windshield wipers;
- rear vision mirrors;
- coupling devices;
- wheels and rims;
- emergency equipment.
The report "must identify the vehicle and list any defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver which would affect the safety of operation of the vehicle or result in its mechanical breakdown" (396.11(a)(2)(i)). A driver who drives more than one vehicle in a day prepares a report for each one. The driver signs it; on two-driver operations, one signature is enough if both drivers agree on the defects (396.11(a)(2)(ii)).
When no DVIR is needed
No defect, no report. The same paragraph ends: "Drivers are not required to prepare a report if no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to the driver." FMCSA removed no-defect reports for property-carrying vehicles in December 2014 (79 FR 75437) and for passenger-carrying vehicles in a rule effective September 17, 2020 (85 FR 50787).
| Situation | DVIR required? |
|---|---|
| Defect found or reported, any CMV | Yes, for each vehicle with a defect |
| No defect, property-carrying CMV | No (since December 18, 2014) |
| No defect, passenger-carrying CMV | No (since September 17, 2020) |
| Carrier operating only one CMV | No: exempt from 396.11 |
| Private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness) | No: exempt |
| Driveaway-towaway operation | No: exempt |
| Intermodal equipment from an equipment provider | Defects are reported to the provider when the equipment is returned (396.11(b)) |
No report doesn't mean no inspection. The driver still has to be satisfied the vehicle is in good working order before driving it (392.7), and a defect found at any point still has to be reported and repaired.
Repairs and certification
The carrier fixes safety defects before the vehicle runs again, and certifies it on the report. Paragraph 396.11(a)(3)(i): "Prior to requiring or permitting a driver to operate a vehicle, every motor carrier or its agent shall repair any defect or deficiency listed on the driver vehicle inspection report which would be likely to affect the safety of operation of the vehicle." Paragraph (a)(3)(ii): the carrier "shall certify on the driver vehicle inspection report which lists any defect or deficiency that the defect or deficiency has been repaired or that repair is unnecessary before the vehicle is operated again."
The pre-trip inspection
Before driving, the driver reviews the last report and signs it. 49 CFR 396.13 says that before driving a motor vehicle, the driver shall "(a) Be satisfied that the motor vehicle is in safe operating condition; (b) Review the last driver vehicle inspection report if required by § 396.11(a)(2)(i); and (c) Sign the report to acknowledge that the driver has reviewed it and that there is a certification that the required repairs have been performed." The signature isn't needed for listed defects on a towed unit that's no longer part of the combination.
49 CFR 392.7(a) adds that "no commercial motor vehicle shall be driven unless the driver is satisfied that the following parts and accessories are in good working order", followed by the same 11 items as the DVIR; FMCSA's 2014 rule harmonized the pre-trip and post-trip lists. The pre-trip check itself has no separate written-record requirement: the record is the driver's signature on the previous DVIR. Our free pre-trip inspection checklist covers the walk-around.
How long to keep DVIRs
Three months. Paragraph 396.11(a)(4): "Every motor carrier shall maintain the driver vehicle inspection report, the certification of repairs, and the certification of the driver's review for three months from the date the written report was prepared." Other Part 396 records run longer:
| Record | Keep for | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| DVIR, certification of repairs, driver's review | 3 months from the date the report was prepared | 396.11(a)(4) |
| Intermodal equipment reports and repair certifications | 3 months from the date the report was submitted | 396.11(b)(4) |
| Inspection, repair and maintenance records | 1 year where the vehicle is housed or maintained, and 6 months after it leaves your control | 396.3(c) |
| Periodic (annual) inspection | Documentation of an inspection in the past 12 months, kept on the vehicle | 396.17(c) |
Electronic DVIRs
Electronic DVIRs are explicitly allowed. Paragraph 396.11(a)(6) says the report "may be created and maintained in electronic format, in accordance with 49 CFR 390.32", and 396.13(d) says the same for the reports the driver reviews. That wording came from FMCSA's Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports final rule (91 FR 7893), published February 19, 2026 and effective March 23, 2026. FMCSA's summary: "The DVIR may already be completed electronically, however the explicit language in this rule will make this clear."
49 CFR 390.32 sets the conditions. Electronic signatures are allowed. Records must be capable of being retained, used for the purpose they were created for, and accurately reproduced within the required timeframes, and they must include proof of consent to use electronic records as required by 15 U.S.C. 7001(c).
Pre-trip checks on a phone, honestly
CheckBadges runs the daily vehicle check from a QR sticker in the cab: the driver scans it with their own phone, with no app or login, and works through that vehicle's pre-trip checklist, signing with their name or a PIN. A defect needs a note and can carry photos, emails your alert list at once, and shows to the next driver who scans that vehicle until you mark it fixed with a note. It isn't a complete DVIR system: there's no separate repair-certification signature or driver-review step, so fleets that want the full DVIR workflow with e-signatures will want a dedicated DVIR app. For small fleets, trailers and yard vehicles, it gives you a dated record of every check and who did it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DVIR required by law?
Yes, for motor carriers operating commercial motor vehicles under 49 CFR 396.11, but only when the driver finds or is told about a defect or deficiency. Carriers operating a single CMV, private nonbusiness passenger carriers and driveaway-towaway operations are exempt.
How long must a DVIR be kept on file?
Three months from the date the report was prepared, together with the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver's review (49 CFR 396.11(a)(4)).
Do you need a DVIR if there are no defects?
No. Drivers aren't required to prepare a report if no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to them. That has applied to property carriers since December 2014 and to passenger carriers since September 17, 2020.
Can DVIRs be electronic?
Yes. 49 CFR 396.11(a)(6) says the report may be created and maintained electronically under 49 CFR 390.32, wording added by an FMCSA final rule effective March 23, 2026. The records must be retainable and reproducible, and signatures can be electronic.
What is the difference between a pre-trip inspection and a DVIR?
The pre-trip is the check before driving: the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe, and review and sign the last DVIR (49 CFR 396.13). The DVIR is the report at the end of the day's work listing any defects (49 CFR 396.11).
Who signs a DVIR?
The driver who prepared it; on two-driver operations one signature is enough if both agree on the defects. The carrier certifies the repair on it, and the next driver signs to acknowledge reviewing it.
Keep reading
- Pre-trip inspection checklistFree truck pre-trip inspection checklist in CDL order: engine compartment, cab and air brake checks, lights, tires, brakes, coupling and emergency equipment.
- Vehicle inspection appA vehicle inspection app for pre-trip checks: drivers scan a QR sticker in the cab and check on their own phone, with no app or login. Defects email you.
- Vehicle inspection checklistFree daily vehicle inspection checklist for company cars, pickups, vans and work trucks: tires, lights, brakes, fluids, mirrors, load and body damage.
- Trailer inspection checklistFree trailer inspection checklist for equipment, utility and semi-trailers: hitch, safety chains, breakaway, lights, brakes, tires, ramps and tie-downs.
- Vehicle fleetsFleet vehicle inspections with no app to install: drivers scan a QR sticker in each van or truck with their phone and do the pre-trip check. Defects alert you.
- Inspection record keepingHow long to keep equipment inspection records, rule by rule: DVIRs 3 months, crane monthly 3 and annual 12, extinguisher upkeep 1 year. And what to record.
Every machine checked, with one scan.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.