When you’re hiring candidates who will operate a company vehicle or drive as part of their job duties, pulling a motor vehicle report (MVR) is an important part of the hiring process. An MVR gives you a detailed record of the person’s driving history and can help you assess risk, improve safety, and reduce your liability. To learn how to obtain an MVR report and what red flags to look for on it follow the next steps.
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How to Pull a Motor Vehicle Report
Before you can request an MVR, you need to get written consent from the applicant. This is a legal requirement covered under employment and privacy laws. You’ll need the applicant’s full name, driver’s license number, and the state the license was issued in.
It is a great practice to partner with a background screening company to get your MVRs more efficiently and ensure that you’re in compliance with all regulations. They can help you get driving records from state motor vehicle agencies while integrating the MVR check into a larger pre-employment background check if desired. Make sure that any report you get is current and comes from a reliable source.
Major Driving Violations
Once you have the report, one of the first things to look for is any serious traffic offenses. Convictions for driving under the influence, reckless driving, hit-and-run incidents, or excessive speeding are a major red flag and can indicate a pattern of high-risk behavior on the road. If you’re hiring for a job that requires a lot of time behind the wheel, these kinds of violations should raise concerns about the person’s judgment and ability to comply with your company’s policies while driving.
Patterns of Repeated Infractions
For minor traffic violations, a single infraction isn’t generally a good reason to disqualify a candidate entirely. However, a pattern of repeated small offenses can still be a red flag. Multiple speeding tickets, frequent moving violations, or multiple accidents can suggest the person has some risky driving habits. Look for trends in these violations, rather than focusing solely on isolated incidents. Repeated violations can show that the person is less likely to follow traffic laws consistently.
License Status and Suspensions
A person’s current license status is one of the most important details on an MVR. You need to verify that their license is active, valid, has no restrictions, and is appropriate for the position you’re filling. For example, you can’t hire someone to drive a semi-truck with a standard driver’s license, no matter how good their driving record is. You’ll need to find someone with a CDL. Make sure that those kinds of credentials are current and in good standing. Also check for suspensions, revocations, and restrictions, which can show past driving issues and legal concerns.
When hiring for a driving-related position, online motor vehicle reports provide insights that are equally as important as any other element in a background check, so be sure that you’re requesting them as part of your hiring process.
