End-of-day DVIR — § 396.11
Did the driver discover or receive a report of a defect that could affect safe operation or cause mechanical breakdown? If yes, identify the vehicle, list the defect, and sign the report.
49 CFR Part 396 record workflow
Driver Vehicle Inspection Report Requirements
Separate the end-of-day DVIR, the next driver's pre-trip review, and the enforcement roadside report. Each record starts a different action and retention timeline.
A no-defect day and an unreported defect are not the same thing.
The current federal rule can remove the written no-defect DVIR, but it does not remove the inspection, safe-operation, repair, maintenance, state, or company duties that still apply.
Reviewed against eCFR text current through .
Record checkpoint
A written federal DVIR is generally not required when no defect exists
- What the selection indicates
- Current § 396.11 says a driver is not required to prepare the end-of-day report when no defect or deficiency affecting safe operation or likely mechanical breakdown was discovered by or reported to the driver. This current no-defect rule applies to covered property and for-hire passenger operations.
- Next action
- Complete the actual inspection and follow any stricter state, contract, or carrier policy. The absence of a written no-defect report does not replace the duty to be satisfied the vehicle is safe before driving.
- Record period
- Because no federal DVIR is prepared for this no-defect day, the § 396.11 three-month report-retention clock does not start.
Selections stay in this browser. Nothing is sent or stored. This guide does not determine whether a specific vehicle is safe or whether another rule requires a record.
Do not blend the records
Four inspection records answer four questions
Pre-trip review — § 396.13
Before driving, is the vehicle safe, and does the last required DVIR show the carrier certification that required repairs were performed?
Roadside examination report — § 396.9
What did enforcement find, was equipment placed out of service, and have the driver and carrier completed the 24-hour, 15-day, and 12-month steps?
Periodic inspection — § 396.17
Has every covered vehicle and each unit in a combination passed the required periodic inspection within the preceding 12 months?
Current no-defect rule
No federal written DVIR when no qualifying defect exists
Section 396.11(a)(2)(i) says drivers are not required to prepare the report if no qualifying defect or deficiency was discovered by or reported to them. That current text covers ordinary property and for-hire passenger operations.
Inspection still happens
Before driving, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition. A missing form is not proof that an inspection occurred.
Other rules can be stricter
State law, a contract, or carrier policy may still require a no-defect record. Apply the actual route, operation, and policy.
Old passenger guidance can mislead
FMCSA removed the federal passenger-carrier no-defect reporting requirement effective September 17, 2020. Use current text, not an older checklist.
When a report is required
Identify the vehicle and report the safety or breakdown defect
The report covers at least the listed systems. It is not limited to those items when another discovered or reported defect could affect safe operation or result in mechanical breakdown.
- Service brakes and trailer brake connections
- Parking brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Tires
- Horn
- Windshield wipers
- Rear-vision mirrors
- Coupling devices
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment
Roadside report closure
The roadside report has a 24-hour, 15-day, and 12-month sequence
- 1
Driver delivery
Deliver the report at the next carrier or provider terminal or facility. If no arrival is scheduled within 24 hours, transmit it immediately.
- 2
Carrier correction and certification
Examine and correct the listed violations. Within 15 days, certify correction and return the form when the issuing State requests it.
- 3
Retention
Keep the completed roadside inspection report at the principal place of business or where the vehicle is housed for 12 months.
Out of service means do not operate
A vehicle or intermodal equipment item declared and marked out of service cannot be operated until every repair required by the out-of-service notice has been satisfactorily completed. Do not confuse the 15-day form-certification deadline with permission to move unsafe equipment.
Boundaries and exceptions
Check whether § 396.11 is the controlling report rule
Express section exceptions
The daily DVIR section does not apply to a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation, or a motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle. Other safety and record duties can remain.
Intermodal equipment
Intermodal equipment tendered by a provider follows the separate provider reporting, repair, certification, and three-month retention process in § 396.11(b).
Electronic records
Required DVIR and pre-trip review records may be electronic under § 390.32, but the workflow still needs the required content, signature, repair certification, access, and retention.
Form versus safe operation
A complete form cannot make an unsafe vehicle safe. A missing federal no-defect form does not prove noncompliance. Test the facts against the current rule and the actual operation.
Connect the vehicle record to the inspection and carrier context
Use the federal text for the record duty, then continue into inspection scope, hours-of-service, safety, and carrier identity without treating one defect or report as a complete fitness verdict.
DVIR questions
Is a written DVIR required when a driver finds no defect?
Current 49 CFR 396.11 says a driver is not required to prepare the federal end-of-day DVIR when no defect or deficiency affecting safe operation or likely mechanical breakdown was discovered by or reported to the driver. A state rule, contract, or carrier policy can still require a record.
Does the no-defect rule apply to passenger carriers?
The current federal text no longer requires a written no-defect DVIR for covered for-hire passenger operations. FMCSA removed that requirement effective September 17, 2020. Section 396.11 separately excepts private motor carriers of passengers (nonbusiness).
What must a DVIR contain when a reportable defect exists?
The signed report identifies the vehicle and lists defects or deficiencies discovered by or reported to the driver that could affect safe operation or result in mechanical breakdown. If a driver operated more than one vehicle, the rule calls for a report for each affected vehicle.
How long must a carrier keep a DVIR?
For a report under 49 CFR 396.11(a), retain the DVIR, repair certification, and driver-review certification for three months from the date the report was prepared. A roadside report under 49 CFR 396.9 has a separate 12-month retention period.
How quickly must a roadside inspection report be closed?
The driver delivers the report at the next terminal or facility, or transmits it immediately if no arrival is scheduled within 24 hours. The carrier certifies correction within 15 days, returns the form if the issuing State requests it, and retains a copy for 12 months.
Can a DVIR be electronic?
Yes. Sections 396.11 and 396.13 permit required reports to be created and maintained electronically in accordance with 49 CFR 390.32. The electronic workflow still has to preserve the required content, signatures, certifications, access, and retention.
Current federal sources
- 49 CFR 396.11Daily DVIR content, no-defect rule, corrective action, exceptions, electronic reporting, and three-month retention.
- 49 CFR 396.13Before-driving safety check, review, and repair-certification acknowledgment.
- 49 CFR 396.9Roadside report delivery, out-of-service restrictions, 15-day certification, and 12-month retention.
- FMCSA 2020 final-rule summaryCurrent context for removal of passenger-carrier no-defect DVIR reporting.
Not legal, inspection, or repair advice
This resource organizes public federal information. It cannot inspect a vehicle, decide whether a defect affects safe operation, or replace current regulations, state rules, an enforcement report, qualified maintenance personnel, or compliance counsel.
Related carrier compliance resources
Connect the carrier identity, safety program, inspection, crash, and out-of-service context before making a decision.
- Review DOT medical card requirementsSeparate medical qualification, CDL self-certification, State rules, and proof.
- Use the FMCSA ClearinghouseChoose the correct employer, driver, or service-agent workflow.
- Prepare for a New Entrant auditReview evidence, timing, and automatic-failure risk areas.
- Interpret a safety ratingSeparate federal ratings, SMS prioritization, and operating status.
- Compare DOT inspection levelsPrepare for Levels I–VIII and close the report loop correctly.
- Apply hours-of-service rulesCompare property and passenger clocks, breaks, sleeper splits, and exceptions.
- Check ELD requirements and exemptionsStart with the records-of-duty-status trigger, then test each narrow exception.
- Explore carrier crash dataReview public crash trends with carrier and period context.
- Compare national OOS averagesPut driver, vehicle, and hazmat OOS rates in historical context.