DVIR (Vehicle Inspection)

A driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) records vehicle defects found or reported by the driver. The key question is not whether a checkbox is marked; it is whether the vehicle is safe to operate and whether a written report is required for that operation.

When is a written DVIR required?

Under 49 CFR 396.11, a covered driver must prepare a post-trip written report when a defect or deficiency is discovered or reported that could affect safe operation or cause a mechanical breakdown. Federal rules do not require a no-defect report when no such defect was discovered or reported. The old passenger-carrier no-defect requirement was removed. Check the rule for its specific exceptions and your operation’s requirements.

What happens when a defect is reported?

List the vehicle identification and the defect clearly. Before the vehicle operates again, the carrier must address defects likely to affect safety and certify that repair was made or was unnecessary, as the rule requires. The next driver reviews the last required report as part of the pre-trip process under 49 CFR 396.13. A defect entry is not, by itself, the same thing as a formal out-of-service order. A qualified person must decide whether it is safe to dispatch.

Keep non-safety issues visible without mislabeling them

A company can use a separate, customizable inspection checklist for issues such as a missing phone charger, an empty ice chest, or a worn welcome item. Those matter to service quality, but they do not automatically put the vehicle out of service. Keep these operational items distinct from safety defects so the repair and dispatch decisions stay clear.

Records and repairs

Keep required DVIRs and repair certifications for the period specified in 49 CFR 396.11 (generally three months from the report date). If a repair goes to a vendor, include the vehicle, defect, and a contact the vendor can reach for authorization or follow-up. For help coordinating vehicle maintenance and vendors, see outsourced fleet management. For driver-file, audit, software, and fleet-service routing, see the compliance services directory; it is a directory of separate services, not a substitute for a vehicle inspection.

Need a sample? The FMCSA forms library includes an example DVIR form. An example form is not a rule that every driver must file a no-defect report.