A driver vehicle inspection report, or DVIR, records the vehicle defects a commercial motor vehicle driver finds or is told about during the day. Before each trip, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe and review the last DVIR. Any defect found then or later goes on the report, which is due at the completion of the day’s work. The motor carrier must keep every vehicle safe, repair reported safety defects, and certify the repair before the vehicle runs again. Since March 23, 2026, DVIRs may be electronic.
“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, except for intermodal equipment tendered by an intermodal equipment provider.”
49 CFR 396.11(a)(1)
Section 396.11 applies to motor carriers and drivers subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. It covers both property-carrying and passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles.
When a report is required. A DVIR is required for each vehicle operated when a defect or deficiency was discovered by the driver or reported to the driver at any point during the day. The report is due at the completion of the day’s work. If no defect was found or reported, no report is required. This applies to truck and bus drivers alike.
Who is exempt. Section 396.11(a)(5) excludes three groups:
FMCSA guidance treats one tractor and semitrailer combination as one motor vehicle for this exception. FMCSA guidance Q21
Intermodal equipment. Chassis and containers tendered by an intermodal equipment provider follow a parallel process in 396.11(b), with the report going to the provider.
Intrastate fleets. Federal rules govern interstate operations. Intrastate carriers follow their state’s rules. Check with your state’s motor carrier enforcement agency.
For fleets that need software across all of Part 396, see DOT compliance inspection software.
Federal rules split vehicle safety between the motor carrier and the driver. The carrier’s duty never stops. The driver’s duties span each day: an inspection before driving, and a report of any defects that closes out the day.
| When | The carrier must | The driver must | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| At all times | Systematically inspect, repair, and maintain every vehicle it controls. Never operate a vehicle in a condition likely to cause an accident or breakdown. Keep a record of inspection, repairs, and maintenance by date and nature for each vehicle controlled 30 days or more. | Use the vehicle’s listed parts and accessories when and as needed. | 396.3(a), (b); 396.7(a); 392.7 |
| Every 12 months | Use a vehicle only if it passed a periodic inspection in the preceding 12 months, with documentation on the vehicle. | None under these rules. | 396.17(c) |
| Before each trip | Repair reported safety defects and certify the DVIR before requiring or permitting a driver to operate the vehicle. | Inspect until satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition. Review the last DVIR and sign it when the prior driver noted defects. | 396.11(a)(3); 392.7; 396.13 |
| During the day | Require drivers to report defects. | Note every defect found or reported, from the pre-trip inspection onward. | 396.11(a)(1); FMCSA guidance Q25 |
| By the end of the day’s work | Receive the DVIR for repair and certification. | Complete and sign a DVIR on each vehicle operated when a defect was found or reported. | 396.11(a)(1), (a)(2) |
| Records | Keep the DVIR, repair certification, and driver’s review for three months. Keep maintenance records for one year, and six months after the vehicle leaves its control. | No federal recordkeeping duty for the DVIR. | 396.11(a)(4); 396.3(c) |
| Element | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle identification | The report identifies the vehicle. | 396.11(a)(2)(i) |
| Defects | Each defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver that would affect safe operation or cause a breakdown. | 396.11(a)(2)(i) |
| Parts covered | At least service brakes and trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering mechanism, lighting devices and reflectors, tires, horn, windshield wipers, rear vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment. | 396.11(a)(1) |
| Driver signature | Required. One signature on a two-driver team if both agree. | 396.11(a)(2)(ii) |
| Repair certification | Carrier or agent statement that each defect was repaired or repair is unnecessary, with signature. | 396.11(a)(3)(ii) |
| Next driver signature | Acknowledges review and the repair certification, when defects were noted. | 396.13(c) |
The listed parts are scope, not a checklist. The report must cover defects in those parts. It does not have to name every part the driver looked at. FMCSA guidance answers “No” to whether specific inspected parts must be identified on the DVIR. FMCSA guidance Q16
Any format works. FMCSA guidance allows any type of DVIR that contains the required information and signatures. One report can cover a tractor and trailer combination if defects are identified for each vehicle. A multi-day report is acceptable if it carries every required entry and certification. FMCSA guidance Q4FMCSA guidance Q5FMCSA guidance Q20
| Record | Keep for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Driver vehicle inspection report | Three months from the date the report was prepared | 396.11(a)(4) |
| Certification of repairs | Three months from the same date | 396.11(a)(4) |
| Certification of the driver’s review | Three months from the same date | 396.11(a)(4) |
Where to keep them. Because 396.11 does not name a location, FMCSA guidance allows either the principal place of business or the location where the vehicle is housed or maintained. FMCSA guidance Q18
Leased vehicles. The motor carrier keeps the original DVIR and repair certifications, including for owner-operator vehicles. FMCSA guidance Q19
Three months is a federal minimum. Many fleets keep records longer for insurance or legal reasons. That is a business decision, not a federal rule.
The federal DVIR covers defects only. Since 2014 for trucks and 2020 for buses, no federal rule requires a written report when an inspection finds nothing. FMCSA concluded the no-defect DVIR carried a substantial paperwork burden with no discernible safety benefit. 79 FR 7543785 FR 50787
The carrier still has to show it inspects systematically. Section 396.3 requires a record of inspection, repairs, and maintenance for each vehicle, and 396.17 requires documented annual inspections. 396.3(b)396.17(c)
That is why many fleets record every inspection, defects or not. A dated record for each vehicle and day shows that inspections happen, flags the days they did not, and builds a history that makes repeat defects visible. It goes beyond the federal minimum, and it is the clearest evidence of a carrier’s diligence.
The rule. “Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports,” Docket FMCSA-2025-0115, RIN 2126-AC89. Published February 19, 2026, at 91 FR 7893. Effective March 23, 2026. Federal Register
Where it came from. FMCSA proposed the change on May 30, 2025, in response to a public comment from the National Tank Truck Carriers. The final rule made no changes from the proposal.
What it added.
Why it matters. FMCSA said a DVIR could already be completed electronically. The rule moves that permission from a cross-reference into the DVIR sections themselves, so the answer sits where drivers, auditors, and carriers look first.
What it did not change. Report triggers, report content, signatures, repair certification, next driver review, and the three-month retention period are unchanged. Paper DVIRs remain acceptable.
What an electronic DVIR must still meet. Section 390.32 allows electronic documents and signatures when they accurately reflect the required information. Electronic records do not qualify if they cannot be retained, are not used for their intended purpose, or cannot be accurately reproduced within required timeframes. 390.32
Two rules govern the moment before driving.
Section 392.7 requires the driver to be satisfied. It does not require a written pre-trip report. The written record in this cycle is the DVIR.
For tools that guide the walkaround itself, see pre-trip inspection apps.
For forklifts, cranes, and jobsite equipment, see OSHA pre-operation inspection requirements.
Section 396.11(a)(1) lists the parts and accessories a report must cover. FMCSA guidance answers “No” to whether the specific parts inspected must be identified on the DVIR. The report must capture defects in those parts. A line item for every part is a fleet choice, not a federal requirement.
396.11(a)(1)FMCSA guidance Q16They are separate duties. Before driving, 392.7 and 396.13 require the driver to inspect until satisfied the vehicle is safe and to review the last DVIR. The written DVIR under 396.11 records defects found during the day, including at the pre-trip, and is due at the completion of the day’s work. Many fleets also require a written pre-trip report as company policy.
392.7396.11(a)(1)396.13Not since December 18, 2014, for trucks, or September 17, 2020, for buses and motorcoaches. A report is required only when a defect is discovered or reported. Older FMCSA guidance still online describes the previous passenger carrier rule. The 2020 final rule superseded it.
396.11(a)(2)(i)85 FR 50787It made them explicit, not required. FMCSA stated it will continue to allow paper DVIRs.
91 FR 7893Section 390.32, effective June 15, 2018, already allowed electronic records and signatures. The 2026 final rule itself notes a DVIR could already be completed electronically.
83 FR 1621091 FR 7893Repair certification sits in 396.11(a)(3)(ii), and it belongs to the motor carrier or its agent. Section 396.13 covers the next driver’s duties. Section 396.11(b) covers intermodal equipment, not mechanic sign-off.
396.11396.13FMCSA guidance sets no minimum qualifications for the carrier official or agent who certifies DVIR repairs, apart from separate rules for periodic inspectors and brake work. For repairs made on the road, either the driver or the commercial repair facility may certify.
FMCSA guidance Q8FMCSA guidance Q26The carrier must repair defects likely to affect safe operation before the vehicle is driven. For any listed defect, the carrier may certify that repair is unnecessary.
396.11(a)(3)Use these criteria to evaluate any DVIR tool. The first list comes straight from the rule text. The second covers features no rule requires but that make the rules easier to meet and prove.
To see how platforms differ on these points, compare DVIR software.
DriverooDriveroo’s eDVIR app automates the steps carriers and drivers repeat every day. The capabilities below map to each step of the DVIR cycle.
| Cycle step | How Driveroo supports it |
|---|---|
| Next driver review | Each vehicle’s inspection history is available on the driver’s mobile device, and prior issues are recalled inside the current inspection. Open defects and their resolution can be delivered as a pre-briefing at the start of the next driver’s inspection. The driver acknowledges them during the inspection, and the driver’s signature documents the acknowledgment. |
| Driver coaching | An AI pre-briefing can open each inspection with coaching for the driver. |
| Guided inspection | Conditional logic guides drivers step by step, with embedded micro-training. Required photos and critical points must be completed before the driver moves on. |
| Driver signature | Captures the driver’s electronic signature on every inspection and shows it on the report. |
| Defect reporting | The rule calls for the report at the completion of the day’s work. Driveroo sends defects to maintenance as soon as the driver submits the inspection, with alerts by severity, issue, or asset type. |
| Defect evidence | Captures photos, video, and voice notes with each defect, and sends them to mechanics with the report. |
| Repair and resolution | Converts issues into work orders that carry the inspection comments, images, and videos. The person who resolves each defect records the resolution in the app, linked to the original defect, with an audit trail from capture to resolution. |
| Record retention | Stores reports online for as long as the fleet chooses, and exports them digitally or prints them on request. |
| Documenting every inspection | Records every completed inspection, defects or not, and keeps a complete online history of inspections, issues, repairs, parts, and labor for every vehicle. |
| Carrier oversight | Sends alerts for missed inspections and tracks inspection time and location. |
| Offline mode | Drivers complete inspections offline, and records sync automatically when the device reconnects. |
| Telematics integrations | Integrates with Samsara, Azuga, Motive, and Verizon Connect. |
Driveroo supports and documents DVIR workflows. Compliance with 49 CFR Part 396 remains the motor carrier’s responsibility.
No. Under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(2)(i), a driver is not required to prepare a report if no defect or deficiency was discovered by or reported to the driver. FMCSA removed the no-defect report for property-carrying vehicles effective December 18, 2014.
No. A 2020 FMCSA final rule, effective September 17, 2020, ended the no-defect DVIR for passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles. In the 2026 electronic DVIR final rule, FMCSA declined a request to reinstate it. A passenger carrier may still require no-defect reports as company policy.
The motor carrier or its agent certifies on the DVIR that each listed defect was repaired or that repair is unnecessary, under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(3)(ii). FMCSA guidance sets no minimum qualifications for the person certifying, apart from separate periodic inspection and brake rules. For repairs made on the road, the driver or the commercial repair facility may certify.
Three months from the date the report was prepared. Under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(4), the motor carrier keeps the DVIR, the certification of repairs, and the certification of the driver’s review for that period. FMCSA guidance allows storage at the principal place of business or where the vehicle is housed or maintained.
Yes. An FMCSA final rule effective March 23, 2026, added language to 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13 stating that DVIRs may be created and maintained electronically under 49 CFR 390.32. Electronic records were already allowed under 390.32 since 2018. Paper DVIRs also remain acceptable.
Both. Under 49 CFR 396.3 and 396.7, the motor carrier must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain each vehicle it controls and may not operate one in a condition likely to cause an accident or breakdown. Under 49 CFR 392.7 and 396.13, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe before driving and review the last DVIR. The driver reports defects, and the carrier repairs and certifies them.
Not under federal DVIR rules. Since December 18, 2014, for trucks and September 17, 2020, for buses, a driver files a DVIR only when a defect is found or reported. The carrier must still keep a record of inspection, repairs, and maintenance for each vehicle under 49 CFR 396.3 and document annual inspections under 49 CFR 396.17. Many fleets record every inspection as evidence of systematic inspection.
At the completion of the day’s work. Under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(1), the driver prepares a report on each vehicle operated, covering every defect found by or reported to the driver during the day, including at the pre-trip inspection. FMCSA guidance says the rule does not require a separate post-trip inspection. No report is needed when no defect was found or reported.
Before driving, a driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last driver vehicle inspection report, and sign it when the prior driver noted defects. The signature confirms the review and that a repair certification exists. No signature is needed for defects on a towed unit no longer in the combination.
A regulation-ready DVIR app identifies the vehicle, lists each safety defect, collects the reporting driver’s signature, records the carrier’s repair certification with signature, and supports the next driver’s review, with a signature when defects were noted. It keeps all three records for three months in a form that can be reproduced on request. Best practice adds complete vehicle history on mobile, photo and video evidence sent to mechanics, prior defects shown in the next inspection, missed-inspection alerts, a record of every inspection, and offline mode.
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