The short answer
An MVR background check reviews a motor vehicle record, also called a motor vehicle report: information about your driver’s license and driving history from a state licensing agency. It can be part of employment screening, especially where driving matters to the role. It is not automatically included in every background check.
To check your own driving record, start with the official motor-vehicle agency for the state that issued your license. Before paying, confirm the record type you need and whether the employer wants a certified copy or will obtain its own report.
What is MVR screening, and what can it show?
Checkr’s MVR explanation describes state driving-record information such as license status and class, violations, accidents and suspensions. The fields and history returned depend on the record source and requested check.
Keep three questions separate:
- What does the state record say? Review the license and individual entries.
- What did the screening report return? Compare its source and request date with your record.
- What does the job require? Ask the employer about its requirements rather than infer a decision from one entry.
A driving-record check does not substitute for every other component of an employment background check. Likewise, a criminal-record search does not establish that your license is currently valid.
How to check your driving record before a job background check
1. Confirm what is being requested
Read the employer’s instructions. If they say “MVR,” ask whether you need to supply anything yourself. A personal copy can help you review information; it does not necessarily replace the report the employer orders.
If a copy is requested, clarify the issuing state, record type, certification requirement and permitted submission method. A useful question is: “Do you need a certified driving-history record, or are you obtaining the MVR directly?”
2. Use the issuing agency’s official record service
Find the driver’s-record request page on the relevant state agency website. A vehicle-registration record is a different request from a driver’s record. Follow the agency’s identity-verification and payment instructions, if applicable.
Do not assume that a site advertising a “free driving record” is the state agency or provides the required document. Check the source, contents and total fee before ordering. Enter license details only through a verified service.
3. Select the record that fits the task
State examples show why “a driving record” is not one universal document:
| Official source | Distinction to check | Candidate implication |
|---|---|---|
| California DMV | An online record can be printed; a certified mailed copy uses a separate request | Check certification needs before choosing the route |
| Texas DPS | Status records, three-year histories and more detailed certified records are different products | Do not assume a status-only record answers a driving-history request |
These examples explain document selection, not nationwide instructions. Texas, for example, describes Type 3A as a certified version of its crashes-and-violations record and limits it to the person concerned. That does not make Type 3A the required document for every Texas job.
4. Compare the details without guessing
Check the record date, identifying information, license status, class and relevant entries. If you have a separate screening report, compare like-for-like fields and note when each source was obtained.
An incident date, conviction date and license-reinstatement date can describe different events. California DMV’s glossary explicitly distinguishes these. A difference between dates is a question to investigate, not automatically evidence that either record is wrong.
How far back does a driving-record background check go?
There is no single nationwide MVR lookback period. Record type, state rules and the kind of entry matter. California’s official page lists different reporting periods for different entries, while Texas offers several record products with different contents.
Do not apply a general “seven-year background check” statement to every driving record. Identify the actual source and entry before asking about retention or reporting limits. The general background-check lookback guide explains why different components need separate treatment.
What if the driving record or screening report is wrong?
First identify where the error appears:
- The state record: use the agency’s correction instructions. California DMV, for example, identifies different forms for incorrect record information and traffic-collision information.
- A screening company’s report: dispute the inaccurate or incomplete entry with that reporting company using its verified process.
- The employer’s understanding: explain the specific mismatch to the hiring contact while pursuing the appropriate correction.
The FTC’s candidate guidance explains report-dispute rights and employer notices. Keep copies of relevant evidence and correspondence. Correcting a source record and correcting a screening report are distinct tasks; confirm what each organization has actually updated.
Use our background-check errors guide for organizing a dispute. Do not send us your license or report.
Will a ticket or suspension make you fail an MVR check?
A record entry alone does not establish the hiring outcome. Identify whether it concerns a current license restriction, a historical event or a possible reporting error, then ask the employer about the requirement at issue. Do not assume one company’s criteria apply to another role.
Commercial driving can involve additional regulated checks. Checkr distinguishes standard MVR checks from broader DOT screening; a personal driving-record copy should not be treated as proof that every commercial-driver requirement is satisfied.
Your next step
Confirm whether you need to obtain a record, identify the correct official product, and compare the information relevant to your job screening. For other preparation tasks, see how to run a background check on yourself.