Driving Record Background Check: What to Review Before You Hire 

Past driving behavior is one of the strongest indicators of future risk. Regulators, insurers, and attorneys all rely on historical driving data to assess whether an employer made a reasonable hiring decision. Understanding what driving history includes and how it is used is essential to reducing safety, compliance, and financial exposure. 

What is a Pre-Employment Driving Record?

A pre-employment driving record, or Motor Vehicle Record, shows an individual’s driving history and how they have operated a vehicle over time.

A typical MVR report shows a driver’s license status, violations, accident history, and any points or restrictions on the license. It gives employers a quick view of whether a candidate is legally allowed to drive. It can also can suggest whether their past behavior indicates higher risk.

Common Driving History Red Flags to Watch For 

Certain indicators in a driver’s history are consistently associated with elevated crash and compliance risk. Identifying these patterns early allows employers to make informed, defensible hiring decisions. 

• Repeat moving violations across multiple years, especially speeding or aggressive driving, which indicate ongoing unsafe driving behavior rather than isolated mistakes. 
• Serious violations, such as reckless driving or DUI, even if they are not recent, are strongly associated with future crash risk.
• Prior crash involvement, particularly when citations or fault determinations were involved.
• Recently reinstated licenses following suspension or revocation may signal unresolved risk factors.
• Patterns of lane-control, failure-to-yield, or similar violations.
• Inconsistencies between reported experience and documented driving history suggest an incomplete or inaccurate evaluation.

Where Driving History Turns Into Risk 

Past driving violations are a reliable predictor of future crash exposure. The 2022 ATRI study shows that certain violations are strong predictors of future crashes.

Failure to yield right-of-way was the top risk factor, increasing crash probability by 141%. Improper or missing turn signals followed closely at 116%, and even a past crash alone raised future risk by 113%. Reckless driving also remained a major indicator, increasing risk by 104%.

Read more: Four Traffics Violations Contributing to Fleet Accidents.

Practical Tips for Reviewing Driving History Before You Hire 

Start with a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check

An MVR should be the foundation of any driving history review. Check license status, class, endorsements, restrictions, and incidents like moving violations, suspensions, or revocations. Use it to confirm eligibility and to understand driving behavior over time, and to capture risk indicators early in the hiring process.

Read more: MVR Checks For Employers: Do’s & Don’ts.

Use the PSP Report to Capture Federal Safety History 

For CDL drivers, the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) report provides up to five years of DOT-reportable crash data and three years of roadside inspection history. Reviewing PSP data alongside the MVR helps surface prior inspections, violations, and crash involvement that may not appear on a state record alone, creating a more complete safety profile before hire. 

Verify CDL Status Through CDLIS 

The Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) allows employers to check a driver’s Commercial Driver’s License history across all states. It confirms that a driver only holds one CDL, shows the current license status, and flags any suspensions, disqualifications, or serious violations on record.

Read more: MVRs vs. PSP vs. CDLIS reports: Know The Difference?

Evaluate Trends, Not Only One-Time Events

A single violation may not be meaningful on its own, but repeated violations, recurring behavior types, or prior crash involvement require a closer review. Looking at trends across multiple records and data sources provides a more accurate picture of long-term risk than relying on a single snapshot. 

Document Reviews Within the Driver Qualification Process 

Clearly record which reports were reviewed, when they were reviewed, and how hiring decisions were made. Maintaining organized, centralized driver qualification documentation strengthens compliance, supports audit readiness, and provides critical context if hiring decisions are later examined. 

Maintain Visibility Into Driving Risk Throughout Employment

Driving risk evolves over time. Having a process in place to stay aware of new violations, crashes, or license status changes allows employers to address emerging risk proactively. Ongoing visibility into driver records through MVR Monitoring supports safer operations and helps prevent issues from surfacing only after an incident or enforcement action. 

Final Takeaway

A driving record background check gives you one of the clearest, most reliable indicators of future risk. Recent studies and industry data continue to show that past driving behavior, such as violations, crashes, and licensing issues is one of the strongest predictors of future incidents on the road.

When employers review driving records in a structured way, document their decisions, and stay aware of risk over time, they put themselves in a stronger position. They reduce crashes, limit liability, and stand up better to audits and legal scrutiny.

Checking driving history before you hire and throughout employment isn’t just about compliance. It’s a proactive step that protects your drivers, your operations, and your business.

Improve your hiring process with better driver oversight. See how continuous MVR monitoring works.

Driving Record Background Check FAQs