DVIR Requirements: The Driver Vehicle Inspection Report, Plainly

The direct answer: under 49 CFR 396.11, a driver must prepare a written report at the end of each day’s work on each vehicle operated when a defect or deficiency affecting safety was discovered or reported; the carrier must repair or certify “repair unnecessary” before the vehicle is used again; the driver must review the prior report before driving (396.13); and the carrier must keep each report, the repair certification and the driver’s review certification for three months. Electronic DVIRs are allowed.

What the report must cover

The regulation names eleven parts and accessories the report must cover at minimum:

1. Service brakes, including trailer brake connections
2. Parking brake
3. Steering mechanism
4. Lighting devices and reflectors
5. Tires
6. Horn
7. Windshield wipers
8. Rear-vision mirrors
9. Coupling devices
10. Wheels and rims
11. Emergency equipment

The report identifies the vehicle and lists any defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver that would affect safe operation or result in a mechanical breakdown. If a driver operates more than one vehicle in a day, each gets its own report. In two-driver operations one signature is enough if both agree on the defects.

What the carrier must do with it

• Before the vehicle is driven again, repair any listed defect that would be likely to affect safe operation.
• Certify on the report that the defect was repaired, or that repair was unnecessary.
• Retain the report, the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver’s review for three months from the date the report was prepared.

The driver, before driving, must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last report if one was required, and sign to acknowledge the review and the repair certification.

Who is exempt

The DVIR rule does not apply to a motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle, to driveaway-towaway operations, or to private non-business passenger carriers. Note the one-vehicle exemption is about the carrier’s fleet size, not about the driver — a two-truck operation is covered. Intermodal equipment has its own reporting process under the same section.

DVIRs are the front end of a maintenance program

A DVIR that says “brakes pulling” is a brake inspection waiting to be scheduled; one that says “ABS light on” is an ABS fault with a legal clock on it. The carrier’s separate duty to maintain inspection, repair and maintenance records for each vehicle lives in 49 CFR 396.3, and the two sets of records work best when they share one system — which is what a fleet maintenance program here is built to do, with the repair certification and the shop record pointing at the same job. For why pre-trips stop finding defects over time, see pre-trip inspection quality.

Common questions

Do drivers have to file a DVIR every day even with no defects?

No. Since the 2014 rule change for property-carrying vehicles, a report is required only when a defect or deficiency was discovered or reported. Many fleets still require a daily report as policy, which is allowed and often wise — it proves the inspection happened.

Can the DVIR be electronic?

Yes. The regulation allows the report to be created and maintained electronically under 49 CFR 390.32, with the same content, signature and retention requirements.

What does “repair unnecessary” mean in practice?

The carrier or its agent examined the reported item and determined it does not require repair to be safe — and certified that on the report. It is a determination, not a way to skip the examination.

General guidance citing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as published on eCFR, reviewed 2026-10-16. It is not legal advice; confirm specifics against the current regulation.