Hiring anyone who will operate a vehicle for work—whether it’s a delivery van, a sales car, or heavy equipment—requires more than a standard background screen. A Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check protects your people, your customers, and your brand by verifying a candidate’s driving history and flagging risk before it becomes a costly incident. Below is a practical, up-to-date guide to the best MVR check services for employers, what to look for, and how to pick the right vendor for your program.

What is an MVR Check and Why It Matters?

An MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) is a state-maintained record of a person’s driving history, typically including license status (valid/suspended), class and endorsements, points, violations (speeding, DUI/DWI, reckless driving), at-fault accidents, and restrictions. For regulated roles (e.g., DOT-safety-sensitive, CDL drivers), an MVR is table stakes. For non-CDL roles that still involve road time—field techs, sales reps, home-health workers—it’s a key risk control that can reduce liability and insurance costs and help demonstrate due diligence in hiring.

What to Look For in An MVR Provider

• Coverage & speed: Access to all U.S. states and territories, with typical results delivered quickly (often same-day) depending on state DMV processes.
• Continuous monitoring: Beyond point-in-time checks, ongoing alerts for license suspensions, serious violations, or status changes.
• Compliance support: FCRA-aligned workflows, candidate consent, proper disclosures, and adverse-action tools.
• ATS/HRIS integration: Plug-and-play connectors or APIs to automate ordering and results routing.
• Role-based rules: Configurable screening packages for CDL vs. non-CDL roles, risk scoring, and location-specific nuances.
• Auditability: Clear logs, permissions, and document retention controls for audits and insurer reviews.
• Transparent pricing: Clear per-check fees, pass-through DMV charges, and fair volume discounts.

The 10 Best MVR Check Services for Employers

1) Checkr — Best for fast-growing teams that need modern APIs

Why it stands out: Checkr pairs a clean UX with strong automation, making it easy for talent teams to add MVR checks to standard background screens. Configuration is simple: you can build packages for driving vs. non-driving roles, limit access rights, and set up notifications when results post.

What employers like: The developer-friendly API and broad ATS ecosystem reduce manual steps. Employers can trigger MVRs automatically after conditional offers, track status in one dashboard, and use built-in adverse-action workflows when results don’t meet policy.

2) Sterling — Best for enterprise risk and complex compliance

Why it stands out: Sterling is known for scale, global reach, and mature compliance tooling. Its MVR solutions cover all U.S. jurisdictions and fold neatly into broader background, drug testing, identity, and workforce screening programs.

What employers like: For enterprises with strict rules and multiple job families, Sterling’s policy configuration, adjudication support, and audit trails shine. It’s designed to help legal and HR work from the same system of record.

3) HireRight — Best for transportation and DOT-sensitive roles

Why it stands out: HireRight has deep roots in transportation screening, with packages tailored for CDL drivers, DOT compliance needs, and trucking-specific workflows.

What employers like: Industry-tuned processes reduce back-and-forth with candidates and recruiters. When paired with background and drug screens, the MVR process becomes a single, traceable pipeline from offer to start date.

4) First Advantage — Best for high-volume multi-location hiring

Why it stands out: First Advantage is built for throughput. If you hire hundreds or thousands of drivers across many states, its MVR coverage, automated ordering, and configurable rules help maintain speed without sacrificing consistency.

What employers like: The dashboard makes it easy to see pass/fail thresholds, status by location, and trends over time—useful for safety teams and insurers assessing overall driver risk.

5) Accurate Background — Best for clean UX and strong candidate experience

Why it stands out: Accurate combines modern design with solid compliance tooling. Its MVR offering integrates with popular ATS platforms and supports customizable adjudication rules.

What employers like: The candidate portal is clear and mobile-friendly, reducing drop-offs. Recruiters get fewer “what’s happening?” tickets because status and next steps are easy to follow.

6) Verified First — Best for quick adoption without heavy IT lift

Why it stands out: Verified First is popular with mid-market teams that want a ready-to-use MVR tool embedded in standard hiring flows. Browser-based integrations make it simple to switch on checks inside many HR platforms.

What employers like: It’s fast to implement and easy to train on. The company emphasizes support and onboarding, which helps teams that don’t have a dedicated HRIS or IT function.

7) Asurint — Best for configurable rules and strong support

Why it stands out: Asurint offers full U.S. MVR coverage with practical policy controls. Teams can set criteria by role (e.g., no serious violations in X years; no suspensions) and route edge cases for human review.

What employers like: The balance of automation and service. If you want consistent automation plus real people who can help fine-tune packages, Asurint is a strong fit.

8) Orange Tree Employment Screening — Best for steady, reliable MVR at scale

Why it stands out: Orange Tree focuses on speed-to-result and reliability. Its MVR checks sit comfortably in broader screening programs, helping employers keep every step in one place.

What employers like: Predictable turnaround, straightforward pricing, and a support team that understands fleet, field services, and retail delivery use cases.

9) DISA Global Solutions — Best for safety-critical and regulated environments

Why it stands out: DISA is deeply experienced in safety-sensitive industries. For employers layering MVRs with drug testing, occupational health, and site access controls, DISA brings everything together under a unified program.

What employers like: Policy enforcement, documentation, and audit support built for high-accountability environments—oil & gas, chemicals, manufacturing, logistics, and similar.

10) SambaSafety — Best for continuous driver monitoring and insurer alignment

Why it stands out: While many CRAs run point-in-time MVRs, SambaSafety focuses on continuous monitoring and driver risk analytics. Employers can get alerts when a license is suspended or when a serious violation occurs—without waiting until the next annual check.

What employers like: It helps safety teams shift from reactive to proactive. You can coach at-risk drivers, refine assignments, and share program results with insurers to support better rates over time.

Quick Comparison Snapshot

Provider	Best For	Monitoring	Integrations	Program Size Fit
Checkr	High-growth, tech-forward teams	Optional	Broad ATS/API	SMB → Enterprise
Sterling	Complex compliance, global orgs	Optional	Extensive	Mid-Market → Enterprise
HireRight	Transportation & DOT roles	Optional	Strong	Mid-Market → Enterprise
First Advantage	High-volume hiring	Optional	Extensive	Mid-Market → Enterprise
Accurate Background	Candidate experience	Optional	Broad	SMB → Enterprise
Verified First	Fast adoption, minimal IT	Optional	Many plug-ins	SMB → Mid-Market
Asurint	Policy configuration + support	Optional	Solid	SMB → Enterprise
Orange Tree	Reliability at scale	Optional	Solid	Mid-Market → Enterprise
DISA	Safety-critical programs	Optional	Strong	Mid-Market → Enterprise
SambaSafety	Continuous monitoring & risk	Yes (core focus)	APIs/partners	Mid-Market → Enterprise

Note: “Monitoring” indicates availability of ongoing alerts beyond a single, point-in-time MVR pull. Exact features and pricing vary by provider and state DMV rules.

How MVR Checks Typically Work

1. Consent & disclosure: Candidate electronically signs FCRA-compliant disclosures/authorizations for motor vehicle records.
2. Order placed: Recruiter or HRIS/ATS triggers an MVR package tied to job code and location.
3. Record retrieval: Provider queries state DMV(s); turnaround can be instant to a few days depending on jurisdiction.
4. Adjudication: Results map to your written policy (e.g., disqualifying offenses, lookback periods). Edge cases route to review.
5. Adverse action (if needed): If you might take adverse action based on results, follow the required pre- and post-adverse action workflow.
6. Onboarding & monitoring: Upon hire, some employers enroll drivers in continuous monitoring to catch status changes between annual checks.

Building An Employer MVR Policy (Simple Framework)

• Define roles: Which jobs require driving? Differentiate CDL vs. non-CDL requirements.
• Set standards: Establish lookback periods (e.g., 3–7 years), violation thresholds, and must-have license classes/endorsements.
• Standardize packages: Map screening packages to job families and locations.
• Train reviewers: Make sure hiring managers understand the policy and send borderline cases to HR or Legal.
• Document decisions: Keep adjudication notes and adverse-action documentation.
• Renewals & monitoring: Annual MVRs are common; continuous monitoring is recommended for active drivers.

How to Choose the Right MVR Vendor

• Start with workflow: Will you order MVRs from an ATS/HRIS or vendor dashboard? Choose the path that removes steps for recruiters.
• Confirm coverage & speed: Ask about expected turnaround for your top hiring states and any known DMV quirks.
• Demand continuous monitoring (if driving is core): Alerts for suspensions and serious violations meaningfully lower risk.
• Check compliance tooling: Look for templated disclosures, e-consent, adverse-action, and permission controls.
• Pilot with real roles: Run a 30–60 day trial across a few locations to test speed, accuracy, and support responsiveness.
• Price it right: Compare base fees, DMV pass-throughs, and monitoring costs. Evaluate volume tiers and contract minimums.
• Measure outcomes: Track time-to-result, incident rate, and insurance feedback. Use data to refine policy cutoffs.

Final Takeaway

Your MVR program is only as strong as its policy and the partner executing it. If you want modern automation with broad integrations, start with Checkr or Accurate. For enterprise complexity or global scale, Sterling, First Advantage, or HireRight are proven choices. If you’re running safety-critical operations—or want to move from annual snapshots to ongoing risk control—add SambaSafety or DISA for continuous monitoring. Whichever vendor you choose, lock your policy first, automate the workflow, and measure outcomes so the program pays for itself in lower incident rates and smoother hiring.

FAQs

1) What shows up on an MVR?

Typically, license status and type, endorsements, points, convictions (e.g., DUI/DWI, reckless driving), moving violations, and at-fault accidents—subject to state reporting rules.

2) How often should employers run MVR checks?

At minimum, before hire for roles that require driving. Many employers re-run annually and/or use continuous monitoring for active drivers.

3) Do I need consent to run an MVR?

Yes. Obtain proper disclosures and written authorization, and follow applicable fair-screening rules, including adverse-action steps if results affect the employment decision.

4) What’s the difference between a background check and an MVR?

A background check covers criminal history, employment verification, and other records. An MVR specifically focuses on driving history and license status from state motor vehicle agencies.

5) Can MVR results vary by state?

Yes. Reporting scope, data freshness, and turnaround times differ by jurisdiction. A good provider will set expectations for your hiring states and keep you compliant.