Commercial Motor Vehicle Fleet - FMCSA (US federal)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For businesses operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce in the US: annual periodic vehicle inspection, daily driver vehicle inspection report, driver qualification file, medical certificate, Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query and the biennial USDOT registration update. It does not cover hours of service and ELD in detail, hazardous materials transport (49 CFR 171-180), manufacturer servicing, or private vehicle duties, which have their own consumer kit. Note: these are federal FMCSA rules; each state adds registration, tax, state inspection and insurance, and many states apply the same FMCSA rules to intrastate operations.
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What it already has at hand
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- 6 planned checks, the most frequent every 12 months since the last inspection
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Run the annual Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query
The employer must query the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse at least once every 12 months for every driver subject to controlled substance and alcohol testing. A limited query is allowed, which only indicates whether information exists and requires the driver's written consent, collected once and valid for several years; if the limited query shows that information exists, a full query must follow within 24 hours. Applies to drivers holding a CDL or CLP who are subject to the Part 382 drug and alcohol testing programme.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligation49 CFR 382.701(b)United States onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Put every commercial motor vehicle through the annual periodic inspection
Every commercial motor vehicle, including trailers, semitrailers and converter dollies, must pass a periodic inspection of the parts listed in Appendix A to Part 396 at least once every 12 months, performed by a qualified inspector. Proof is the inspection report or the decal displayed on the vehicle, kept for 14 months from the report date at the location where the vehicle is housed, together with the inspector qualification record. Applies to all CMVs in interstate commerce: an FMCSA-recognised state periodic inspection programme may take the place of the federal inspection, and a CVSA level I roadside inspection report may count as the periodic inspection.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligation49 CFR 396.17; 49 CFR 396.19; 49 CFR 396.21United States onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Obtain and review each driver's motor vehicle record annually
At least once every 12 months the carrier must request each driver's Motor Vehicle Record from the licensing authority and review it to confirm the driver still meets minimum safe-driving requirements, requesting the record from every state where the driver held a licence in the preceding 12 months. The driver qualification file must hold a copy of the record and a note giving the reviewer's name and the review date. Applies to all CMV drivers employed by the carrier, including casual drivers and owner-operators under contract; the file is kept for the duration of employment and three years after it ends.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligation49 CFR 391.25United States onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Update the USDOT registration every two years (MCS-150)
Every carrier must update its USDOT registration every 24 months by filing Form MCS-150 or MCSA-1, even if nothing changed or operations ceased. The due month matches the last digit of the USDOT number and the year depends on the next-to-last digit, odd in odd-numbered years and even in even-numbered years; failure to update leads to deactivation of the USDOT number and civil penalties. Applies to every holder of a USDOT number: carriers, hazardous materials shippers and intermodal equipment providers.
every 24 months since the last jobLegal obligation49 CFR 390.19T(b) e (c)United States onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Prepare the daily driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR)
At the completion of each day's work the driver must prepare and sign a report on each vehicle operated, covering at least service and parking brakes, steering, lighting, tyres, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims and emergency equipment; defects affecting safety must be repaired before the vehicle is put back in service. The DVIR, the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver's review are kept for three months from the date the report was prepared, under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(4). Applies to CMV drivers: the report is always due for passenger-carrying vehicles, while for property-carrying vehicles it is required when the driver finds or reports defects.
- 06
Renew the driver's medical examiner's certificate within 24 months
No driver may operate a CMV unless examined and certified as qualified by a National Registry medical examiner within the preceding 24 months; validity drops to 12 months for drivers in exempt intracity zones, with insulin-treated diabetes and under vision exemptions. The examiner may issue certificates of shorter duration where a medical condition needs monitoring: set the deadline from the date printed on the certificate, not from the theoretical 24 months. Applies to all CMV drivers subject to Part 391, except those exempted; for CDL holders the certificate is transmitted electronically by the examiner to the licensing agency.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligation49 CFR 391.45; 49 CFR 391.43United States onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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