MVR and driving record checks
If your workers need to drive or operate a motor vehicle as part of their job, a Motor Vehicle Record Check provides insight into whether they’re a safe driver.
Let’s start with MVR check basics
What is an MVR check?
An MVR check, also known as a driving record check or MVR report, searches a person’s driving record as reported by a state department of motor vehicles or similar government entity which issues driver licenses.
Information reported in a driving record background check includes driver license status and class, violations, suspensions, restrictions, and other information related to driving records and credentials.
Why is understanding a candidate’s driving record important?
Maintain safety standards
A pre-employment driving record check helps you assess the risk of hiring candidates who may have an unsafe driving history. Reviewing new and current employees’ MVR reports also helps you comply with industry regulations, as well as your company’s screening policy. Further, certain records may only be accessible on an MVR check and may not show up on a criminal record check, such as some driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) records.
Build a trusted brand
An MVR check for employers helps you stay compliant, protect your brand reputation, and increase your customers’ safety. Whether you’re increasing hiring volumes or expanding your business with drivers, running MVR checks gives you peace of mind that you’re hiring qualified candidates with safe motor vehicle histories.
Do you need MVR checks?
What roles typically require an MVR check?
MVR checks are for anyone who operates a vehicle as part of their job, including:
- Commercial drivers such as bus, taxi, or limo drivers
- Contract drivers for rideshare or food delivery services
- Employees who operate company motor vehicles
- Care providers who transport clients
- Truck drivers and delivery drivers
- Volunteers who drive as part of their volunteer work
What shows up on an MVR check?
An MVR check for employers provides information to help you assess if a candidate is currently eligible to drive for work:
- If their license is currently suspended or expired
- What types and classes of vehicles they are licensed to drive
- Recent violations or restrictions
- DUI or DWI-related violations or suspensions
- Issue and expiration dates for various license types
How to get MVR checks with Checkr
Whether you’re hiring a few drivers or thousands, Checkr’s AI-powered platform helps you hire qualified drivers for public safety, highway safety, and customer safety. For large organizations, we help you navigate a highly-regulated industry for at-scale hiring with minimal manual tasks so you can run pre-employment driving record checks fast and efficiently.
Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check
Identify driving violations and verify license status and endorsements. Information returned is typically within the last three years, depending on the seriousness of the incident and the state in which it occurred.
DOT Pre-Hire Screening Package
Meet DOT and FMCSA regulatory requirements with this pre-employment screening package that includes a DOT drug test and physical.
Continuous MVR
Get notified of driving incidents, violations, and revoked or suspended licenses. Continuous MVR is a smarter, more efficient way to mitigate risk and stay compliant.
Featured solutions
Go beyond your typical background checks with Checkr’s advanced products and packages. Our offering powers at-scale hiring with less risk and more flexibility.
Workflow Automation
Achieve more with fewer resources; scale capacity without scaling your team.
Compliance Tools
Combine the power of technology with the confidence of human review, so you can hire faster with less risk.
Continuous MVR
Keep customers safe, cut insurance costs, and lower risk. Continuous MVR monitors for incidents and automatically runs MVR checks as needed.
What you need to know when running MVR checks
Checkr’s platform promotes fair and compliant practices with state of the art tools and technology. We are also your partner in background check education. When it comes to driver record checks, here are the primary laws and best practices to consider.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
To build a compliant background check process, you must understand the FCRA and regional and local requirements around denying a candidate employment based on driving records.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The EEOC helps ensure that candidates are being treated fairly in the hiring process, and provides a framework for individualized assessments of pre-employment background checks.
DOT and FMCSA Guidelines
The DOT and FMCSA are the regulatory bodies overseeing the commercial driving industry. Checkr helps you create a compliant hiring process according to their guidelines.
Insurance Requirements
Insurance requirements weigh heavily when hiring drivers and transporters. Checkr customers can create filters based on carrier conditions for easier candidate conversion.
Recency
With MVR checks, up to date information is crucial. A license status could change at any time so it’s important to continuously update these records to boost compliance and safety.
DUIs
DUIs may appear on criminal record screenings, but not always. In certain cases, depending on the state, driving under the influence may be considered a traffic violation and will only be surfaced on an MVR report.
Candidate Experience
Build trust during the screening process
Candidates often feel lost or intimidated by the background check process. That’s why Checkr provides online educational tools, live support, and access to report status in our mobile-friendly candidate portal.
Customer Story
95% reduction in turnaround time in a highly regulated industry
Honk, the roadside assistance company, built a national network of drivers thanks to a 95% reduction in screening turnaround time from three days to just one.
Explore more solutions with Checkr
Verification checks
Verification checks help employers verify important candidate data such as education, employment, and licensing history.
Criminal background checks
Compile national and local records of criminal history to know if there are reportable records associated with your candidate.
You’re in good company!
MVR results are typically available in under 24 hours, with most completed within just a few minutes.
