Motor vehicle record (MVR) reports

A motor vehicle record (MVR) report is a driving history report as reported from a government entity that issues driver licenses. In the United States (US), state Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) report these results. In Canada, the province or territory government reports these results.

MVR reports and candidate selection

MVR reports can help identify candidates with unsafe driving records to help you assess the risk of potential and current employees. Some convictions, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, appear only on MVR reports and not in criminal searches.

Governments might differ in the information they report, but MVR reports usually identify the information below: 

• Full name
• Current license status
• Current license type
• Current license class
• Current license expiration date
• Current license issue date*
• Current license first issued date*
• Restrictions
• Endorsements
• Suspensions
• Violations
• Accidents

*Electronic records that Checkr accesses don't always include this information.

Turnaround time

MVR reports are typically available within 24 hours; most complete within a few minutes.

Delays can happen when Checkr finds no matching record. Checkr calls this situation an exception, and it usually happens when the candidate makes a typo in their driver license number, name, or birth date. Checkr automatically emails the candidate asking them to submit a photo of their driver license so that the report can continue.

Region availability

United States and US territories

The US state of Pennsylvania requires an affidavit to run MVR reports, and the Checkr MVR service doesn't cover the areas below:

• Guam (GU)
• Puerto Rico (PR)
• US Virgin Islands (VI)
• US Armed Forces - Americas (AA)
• US Armed Forces - Europe (AE)
• US Armed Forces - Pacific (AP)

Canada

If you set the work location as Canada, MVR reports include results from the province or territory that issued the license.

MVRs are available as standalone searches. You can add MVR to a background check search package from the Checkr Dashboard.

MVR rules

Checkr enables you to define rules that evaluate a candidate’s driving record and determine whether a report status shows Clear or Consider. MVR rules apply in the United States only.

Default rules

By default, Checkr applies the rules below to MVR reports. These rules are based on standard insurance requirements.

• Driver must be over 18
• Driver must currently be privileged to drive a passenger vehicle or motorcycle
• No more than 1 moving violation in the past 3 years AND No more than 1 accident in the past 3 years
• No more than 2 moving violations in the past 3 years (such as failure to stop at a stop sign, following too closely, improper passing)
• No more than 2 accidents in the past 3 years
• No major violation in the past 5 years (such as DUIs, or speeding 40+ mph over the limit)
• No cell phone or distracted driving violation in the past 3 years

If you want to change these default rules to suit your organization's needs or insurance requirements, contact Checkr.

General rule customization

Checkr Customer Support helps you customize MVR rules. Customizing MVR rules enables you to further assess the below aspects of a candidate’s driving record:

• Accidents
• Age
• Driving history
• Restrictions
• Suspensions
• Violations

Violation rule customization

If you set violation-based rules, you can apply different treatments to violation categories that you specify. Checkr allows you to customize violations with classification codes based on the AAMVA Code Dictionary (ACD) codes. For example, a rule that requires drivers to have no more than 5 moving violations applies to violations that you've categorized as “moving violation.” Uncategorized violations or violations in different categories don't count toward this particular rule.

Driving history customization

Driving history rules enable you to require candidates to have a certain number of years of driving history. In order to validate a candidate’s driving history, opt in to Checkr’s Previous License History Collection feature. Checkr will ask the candidate to submit previous license information for additional reports to meet your minimum driving-experience rule. The feature itself doesn't cost anything. However, service and passthrough DMV fees for running additional licenses will apply. To opt in, contact Checkr Customer Support.

Candidate experience

Candidates will be asked to submit their name, birth date, phone number, email address, and driver license number and state, province, or territory of issuance.

Candidates then read and acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check.

Candidates might also be asked to provide a copy of their driver license. For some organizations, candidates might also be asked to submit a copy of an old license to provide evidence that they’ve been licensed in previous years.

After the candidate consents, Checkr begins the search.

Checkr enables you to define rules that evaluate a candidate’s driving record and determine whether a report status shows Clear or Consider. MVR rules apply in the United States only.

Checkr's default MVR rules

By default, Checkr applies the rules below to MVR reports. These rules are based on standard insurance requirements.

• Driver must be over 18
• Driver must currently be privileged to drive a passenger vehicle or motorcycle
• No more than 1 moving violation in the past 3 years AND No more than 1 accident in the past 3 years
• No more than 2 moving violations in the past 3 years (such as failure to stop at a stop sign, following too closely, improper passing)
• No more than 2 accidents in the past 3 years
• No major violation in the past 5 years (such as DUIs, or speeding 40+ mph over the limit)
• No cell phone or distracted driving violation in the past 3 years

If you want to change these default rules to suit your organization's needs or insurance requirements, contact Checkr.

 

 

Continuous MVR (motor vehicle record) mitigates risk by continually monitoring your drivers' records for driving violations and license status changes. When Continuous MVR detects a change to a driver’s record, it completes a full MVR report for the driver and applies your adjudication criteria.

Continuous MVR driver license monitoring

Continuous MVR checks for new reported records for enrolled drivers at least once a month. If Continuous MVR detects a change in license history, it generates an MVR report.

Checkr uses two data sources to monitor driver license information:

• State-sponsored sources: State-sponsored notification programs offer a monitoring service that provides driver information based on that state's permissible purpose requirements.
• Non-state-sponsored sources: In states with no state-sponsored notification program, Continuous MVR monitors criminal and civil traffic court records or other pointer sources.

States offer two types of coverage:

• Violation monitoring: Violation monitoring provides data about violations such as DUI, speeding, failure to obey a traffic signal, driving with a suspended license, and more. Some states also provide data about at-fault accidents.
• Status monitoring: Status monitoring provides data about suspended or revoked licenses. Sometimes, states provide the reason for the suspension or revocation.

With Continuous MVR, you can define post-onboarding MVR rules for adjudicating your Continuous MVR reports.

You have two configuration options:

• Use the default copy of your existing MVR rules.
• Contact Checkr to create custom rules for your account.

Enrollment process

Requirements

Drivers you enroll in Continuous MVR must have both items below:

• A completed MVR report
• A valid US driver license

Manage drivers

Checkr provides three methods for managing drivers in Continuous MVR:

• Checkr API
• Checkr Dashboard
• CSV upload

Checkr API

To manage Continuous MVR enrollments through the Checkr API, use the Continuous Checks resource in the Checkr API documentation, with type: `mvr`. The Cancel an existing Continuous section of the Checkr API documentation has information about authorizations, path parameters, and responses.

Checkr Dashboard

To enroll a driver in Continuous MVR, use the steps below:

1. In the Candidates page of the Checkr Dashboard, select a driver.
2. Select the toggle for Continuous MVR.
3. Verify that you have obtained evergreen consent.
4. Select Enroll Continuous MVR.

To remove drivers, return to the Candidates page in the Dashboard and deselect the Continuous MVR toggle.

CSV upload

Use the Bulk action tab to perform bulk actions with a CSV upload, check drivers’ status, and download processing errors.

You use the same Bulk action tab to manage Continuous MVR that you use for Continuous Crim.

Checkr recommends that you submit your un-enrollment CSV file before the last business day of each month. This timing prevents those drivers’ Continuous MVR enrollments from continuing into the next month. Enrollments can happen at any time of the month.

To start a bulk action, use the steps for Bulk action.

Enrollment errors

When you enroll a driver in Continuous MVR, the driver's license information comes from a previously completed MVR report. States can remove enrollments for invalid or outdated personally identifiable information. Continuous MVR errors can happen immediately after enrollment or up to 30 days later.

To help you manage enrollments, the Ineligible persons tab on the Continuous checks page shows the drivers who were removed from Continuous MVR because of an error.

Error message	Description	Resolution
PII doesn't match or can't be located	Outdated or wrong PII prevents the driver's enrollment. Checkr requests correct PII from the driver.	Try again to enroll the driver. Checkr might have received correct PII from the driver. If the same error happens again, contact the driver for the correct information. Then, order a new MVR report and enroll the driver.
License already enrolled	This license is already enrolled.	You don't need to do anything.
Can't enroll in license status monitoring	The driver can't enroll with this PII, likely because they don't have an SSN on file.	Order an SSN trace for the driver to enroll in Continuous MVR. If you take no action, Continuous MVR reports new violations but not driver license status changes.
Driver license changed states	The driver's license changed on the candidate's report in the Checkr Dashboard.	Review the new state on the candidate's report in the Checkr Dashboard. Then, try again to enroll the driver. Some states charge enrollment fees.
Person can't enroll electronically	This driver can't enroll right now, likely because the DMV is offline.	Try again to enroll the driver, or ask them to contact the DMV.
PII altered or removed	The driver requested that Checkr change or remove their PII.	Contact the driver to confirm that they requested that Checkr remove their information.

Automatic removal

Drivers are automatically removed from Continuous MVR for the reasons below:

• The driver's license becomes invalid.
• The driver-supplied PII doesn’t match the driver's license.
• The state stops issuing the driver’s license. (For example, the driver moved to another state and got a new driver license.)

When the DMV removes a driver's enrollment, the driver is automatically removed from Continuous MVR. Checkr adds the unenrolled driver to the Ineligible persons tab and via webhook if using the Checkr API.

Continuous MVR and adverse action

Continuous MVR might find an incident that indicates that you should process an adverse action. If you use Checkr to process an adverse action against a driver based on a report from Continuous MVR, Checkr also removes the driver from Continuous Crim.

If your company has a custom adverse action process and doesn't use Checkr’s automated adverse action functionality, you must remove applicable drivers from Continuous MVR to comply with FCRA obligations.

Billing

After Checkr receives your Continuous MVR order, Checkr adds Continuous MVR to your monthly invoice. Your invoice might include several lines for Continuous MVR, including passthrough fees.

Beginning the first month of each driver's enrollment, Checkr collects a monthly service fee for each enrolled driver. Some states also collect fees for the events below:

• Each driver enrollment
• The anniversaries of the driver’s enrollment
• Each MVR report that Continuous MVR generates

Your invoice shows charges for each MVR report that Continuous MVR generates.

Most states take up to 31 days to process a Continuous MVR enrollment. If a state doesn't enroll a driver, the driver is removed from Continuous MVR and you no longer pay for their enrollment.

To help reduce the number of unenrolled drivers, Checkr recommends that you enroll drivers in Continuous MVR immediately after their standard MVR reports complete. This timing helps ensure that recent information passes to the DMV.