What is a driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR)?
A driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) is the written report a commercial motor vehicle driver makes at the end of each workday under 49 CFR 396.11, listing any defect that could affect safety or cause a breakdown. Since September 17, 2020, passenger carriers need one only when a defect is found or reported. The carrier certifies repairs, the next driver reviews and signs, and reports are kept three months.
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Which NEMT vehicles need one
The DVIR belongs to the federal rules for commercial motor vehicles. A van is one under 49 CFR 390.5T when it runs in interstate commerce and meets any of these tests:
- a weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more (see GVWR);
- designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers, counting the driver, for pay;
- designed or used to carry more than 15 passengers, counting the driver, without pay.
The rule has three exceptions (49 CFR 396.11(a)(5)): a private, nonbusiness passenger carrier, a driveaway-towaway operation, and a motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle. A company with two qualifying vans is covered.
In-state work can be covered too, because many states adopt the federal safety rules. West Virginia’s motor carrier rule 150CSR9 section 4.3.3 applies federal parts 390 through 399, the DVIR included, to every for-hire passenger vehicle of any capacity, whether the trip is interstate or intrastate. The DOT number guide walks through when a company falls under the federal rules at all.
What the report covers
The driver prepares and signs a report for each vehicle driven that day, identifying the vehicle and listing any defect found or reported that could affect safe operation or lead to a breakdown. The federal list of parts to cover:
| Part | Part |
|---|---|
| Service brakes | Horn |
| Parking brake | Windshield wipers |
| Steering | Rear-vision mirrors |
| Lighting devices and reflectors | Coupling devices |
| Tires | Wheels and rims |
| Emergency equipment |
Two changes matter for passenger carriers. First, since September 17, 2020, a driver who finds no defect and has none reported owes no report. Many older checklists and trainings still say otherwise. Second, reports and signatures may be electronic under 49 CFR 390.32, and a rule effective March 23, 2026 spelled that out in the DVIR sections.
The DVIR is an end-of-day report. The start-of-shift duty sits in 49 CFR 392.7: no commercial motor vehicle may be driven until the driver is satisfied the same parts are in good working order.
The repair and review loop
- Report. At the end of the workday, the driver lists any defect on a signed report.
- Repair. Before the vehicle runs again, the carrier fixes any listed defect likely to affect safety.
- Certify. The carrier notes on the report that the defect was repaired, or that no repair was needed.
- Review. Before driving, the next driver makes sure the vehicle is safe, reviews the last report if one was made, and signs to acknowledge it and the repair certification (49 CFR 396.13).
- Retain. The carrier keeps the report, the repair certification, and the driver’s review for three months from the date of the report.
State and broker versions
The federal parts list says nothing about wheelchair lifts, ramps, or securement straps. Federal accessibility rules do: public and private transportation providers must keep lifts, securement devices, and other accessibility features in operative condition and repair them promptly (49 CFR 37.161). A daily checklist that adds those items covers both.
Medicaid programs layer periodic inspections on top. Georgia’s NEMT policy manual has the broker inspect every vehicle before a provider puts it into service and again every six months, checking items such as brakes, tire tread, turn signals, horn, seat belts, and heating and air conditioning, with the date and odometer reading on file. Virginia’s fee-for-service requirements have every vehicle inspected before it carries members and again twice a year. These are inspections by the broker, separate from the driver’s own report. The vehicle inspection checklist combines the federal parts with the NEMT extras, and the guide to digital vehicle inspections covers moving it to a phone.
Checks in the driver app
HealthRide covers the start-of-shift side of this routine. Drivers check their van at the start of every shift, right in the driver app.
Frequently asked questions
- Do drivers still fill out a DVIR when nothing is wrong with the van?
- Not under federal rules. FMCSA dropped the no-defect report for passenger-carrying commercial vehicles in a final rule published August 18, 2020, effective September 17, 2020. Before that, drivers of passenger-carrying commercial vehicles had to turn one in every day. A state program, a broker contract, or your own policy can still ask for a daily record, so check them before dropping the form.
- Is the DVIR the same as the annual DOT inspection?
- No. The DVIR is the driver's own daily report. The periodic inspection under 49 CFR 396.17 is a separate check: every component in appendix A to part 396 must have passed an inspection within the preceding 12 months, with proof carried on the vehicle. A van needs both when it counts as a commercial motor vehicle.
- Does a wheelchair minivan need a DVIR?
- Under federal rules, only if it counts as a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, meaning a weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, or a design or use for more than 8 passengers including the driver for pay. Most minivans meet neither test. Some states reach further: West Virginia applies the federal safety rules to every for-hire passenger vehicle of any size, in-state trips included.
- Can the DVIR be done on a phone?
- Yes. FMCSA rules have allowed required records and signatures to be kept electronically, and a rule effective March 23, 2026 wrote that option into the DVIR sections themselves. The electronic record still has to be retained, reproducible on request, and hold everything the paper version would.
