MVR stands for motor vehicle record, the driving history a state licensing agency holds. The acronym appears in three different conversations, hiring, insurance and regulated fleet compliance, and it means the same document in all three while being used for quite different purposes. This page covers what it holds, who asks for it and why the state matters so much.
What is a MVR background check, and what does the record hold?
License status, class, endorsements and restrictions, expiry date, and a history of moving violations, license suspensions and revocations, serious traffic convictions and, where the state records them, accidents. What is included and how far back it goes is set by each state rather than federally, so the same driver's record can look materially different depending on which state issued the license. That is why a driver who has held licenses in more than one state needs a record pulled from each rather than one from the current state.
A pre employment MVR check and the other reasons people pull one
An employer hiring somebody who will drive pulls it to establish that the person may lawfully drive and has an acceptable history. An insurer pulls it because driving history is a rating factor, and a commercial motor policy will typically require the operator to maintain MVRs on its drivers and to keep them within an agreed standard. A regulated motor carrier pulls it because federal regulation requires a record from each state of licensure at hire and an annual review thereafter, filed in the driver qualification file.
A driving record check for employment is a consumer report
Where you obtain a driving record through a consumer reporting agency for employment purposes, the FCRA applies in full: the standalone disclosure, written authorization before the order, and if a violation is part of why you decline to hire or assign somebody, the pre-adverse and adverse action sequence. Several states additionally require a specific consent for release of driving record data on top of the FCRA authorization. An MVR pulled directly from a state agency by the employer sits in a slightly different position, which is worth clarifying with your own provider.
MVR Texas: an example of state variation
Texas driving records are held by the Department of Public Safety and are available in several types with different content, from a status-only abstract to a certified record including violations and accidents. Which type you order determines what you receive, and ordering the cheapest type and then complaining it lacks violation history is a common error. The wider point holds everywhere: the record type and the retention rules are set by the state, so a national screening policy that says pull an MVR needs to specify which record, in which states.
Other questions people ask
What does MVR stand for?
Motor vehicle record: the driving history held by the state licensing agency that issued the license. It is also called a driving record or an abstract.
What are MVR checks, and are they background checks?
It is a separate search from a criminal background check, from a different source. A driving record shows license status and driving history; criminal records live in court systems and neither search returns the other.
Why does my insurer want an insurance driving record on each driver?
Driving history is a rating factor, and commercial motor policies typically require the operator to maintain records on its drivers and keep them within an agreed standard.
Do I need one from every state?
From every state where the driver held a license in the relevant period. Regulated carriers must obtain one from each state of licensure in the preceding three years, and the same logic applies to any employer with a mobile workforce.