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Historical textIn force on Oct. 1, 2004Source: annual CFR editions 2004–2008

§ 391.51 General requirements for driver qualification files.

Wording in the annual edition revised as of Oct. 1, 2004, superseded by the 2009 annual edition.

govinfo, 2004 edition ↗
Before Jan. 1, 2017 the record is one snapshot per annual CFR edition, revised as of October 1. This is the 2004 edition's wording. An amendment that took effect between Oct. 1, 2004 and Oct. 1, 2004 would not appear until the next edition, so check the citations below and the Federal Register for exact effective dates.
What changedOct. 1, 2001 wording → Oct. 1, 2004 wording+18 added−20 removedHide

(a) Each motor carrier shall maintain a driver qualification file for each driver it employs. A driver's qualification file may be combined with his/her personnel file.
(b) The qualification file for a driver must include:
(1) The driver's application for employment completed in accordance with § 391.21;
(2) A written record with respect to each past employer who was contacted and a copy of the response by each State agency, concerning a driver's driving record pursuant to § 391.23 involving investigation and inquiries(a)(1);
(3) The certificate of driver's road test issued to the driver pursuant to § 391.31(e), or a copy of the license or certificate which the motor carrier accepted as equivalent to the driver's road test pursuant to § 391.33;
(4) The response of each State agency to the annual driver record inquiry required by § 391.25(a);
(5) A note relating to the annual review of the driver's driving record as required by § 391.25(c)(2);
(6) A list or certificate relating to violations of motor vehicle laws and ordinances required by § 391.27;
(7) The medical examiner's certificate of his/her physical qualification to drive a commercial motor vehicle as required by § 391.43(f) or a legible photographic copy of the certificate; and
(8) A letter from the Field Administrator, Division Administrator, or State Director granting a waiver of a physical disqualification, if a waiver was issued under § 391.49.
(c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, each driver's qualification file shall be retained for as long as a driver is employed by that motor carrier and for three years thereafter.
(d) The following records may be removed from a driver's qualification file three years after the date of execution:
(1) The response of each State agency to the annual driver record inquiry required by § 391.25(a);
(2) The note relating to the annual review of the driver's driving record as required by § 391.25(c)(2);
(3) The list or certificate relating to violations of motor vehicle laws and ordinances required by § 391.27;
(4) The medical examiner's certificate of the driver's physical qualification to drive a commercial motor vehicle or the photographic copy of the certificate as required by § 391.43(f); and
(5) The letter issued under § 391.49 granting a waiver of a physical disqualification.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 21252126-0065004)
[63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004]

49 CFR § 391.51 — General requirements for driver qualification files.. Text in force on October 1, 2004. This wording effective October 1, 2004 to October 1, 2009. Source: govinfo, 2004 edition, https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2004-title49-vol4/CFR-2004-title49-vol4-sec391-51. Retrieved from FMCSR.com, https://fmcsr.com/reg/391.51?asof=2004-10-01, on October 26, 2026. Unofficial compilation; verify against the official source.

(a) Each motor carrier shall maintain a driver qualification file for each driver it employs. A driver's qualification file may be combined with his/her personnel file.

(b) The qualification file for a driver must include:

(1) The driver's application for employment completed in accordance with § 391.21;

(2) A copy of the response by each State agency concerning a driver's driving record pursuant to § 391.23(a)(1);

(3) The certificate of driver's road test issued to the driver pursuant to § 391.31(e), or a copy of the license or certificate which the motor carrier accepted as equivalent to the driver's road test pursuant to § 391.33;

(4) The response of each State agency to the annual driver record inquiry required by § 391.25(a);

(5) A note relating to the annual review of the driver's driving record as required by § 391.25(c)(2);

(6) A list or certificate relating to violations of motor vehicle laws and ordinances required by § 391.27;

(7) The medical examiner's certificate of his/her physical qualification to drive a commercial motor vehicle as required by § 391.43(f) or a legible photographic copy of the certificate; and

(8) A letter from the Field Administrator, Division Administrator, or State Director granting a waiver of a physical disqualification, if a waiver was issued under § 391.49.

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, each driver's qualification file shall be retained for as long as a driver is employed by that motor carrier and for three years thereafter.

(d) The following records may be removed from a driver's qualification file three years after the date of execution:

(1) The response of each State agency to the annual driver record inquiry required by § 391.25(a);

(2) The note relating to the annual review of the driver's driving record as required by § 391.25(c)(2);

(3) The list or certificate relating to violations of motor vehicle laws and ordinances required by § 391.27;

(4) The medical examiner's certificate of the driver's physical qualification to drive a commercial motor vehicle or the photographic copy of the certificate as required by § 391.43(f); and

(5) The letter issued under § 391.49 granting a waiver of a physical disqualification.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2126-004)

[63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004]

Amendment history

17 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996
  1. May 9, 2022 → presenteCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019; 86 FR 32651, June 22, 2021; 86 FR 57076, Oct. 14, 2021; 87 FR 3419, Jan. 21, 2022; 87 FR 13209, Mar. 9, 2022]
  2. March 22, 2022 → May 9, 2022eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019; 86 FR 32651, June 22, 2021; 86 FR 57076, Oct. 14, 2021; 87 FR 3419, Jan. 21, 2022]
  3. March 9, 2022 → March 22, 2022eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019; 86 FR 32651, June 22, 2021; 86 FR 57076, Oct. 14, 2021]
  4. Jan. 21, 2022 → March 9, 2022eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019; 86 FR 32651, June 22, 2021; 86 FR 57076, Oct. 14, 2021]
  5. Oct. 14, 2021 → Jan. 21, 2022eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019; 86 FR 32651, June 22, 2021; 86 FR 57076, Oct. 14, 2021]
  6. June 22, 2021 → Oct. 14, 2021eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019; 86 FR 32651, June 22, 2021]
  7. Sept. 30, 2019 → June 22, 2021eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001; 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018; 84 FR 51434, Sept. 30, 2019]
  8. June 21, 2018 → Sept. 30, 2019eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015; 83 FR 28782, June 21, 2018]
  9. Oct. 1, 2015 → June 21, 2018annual editions 2015–2016diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014; 80 FR 22822, Apr. 23, 2015]
  10. Oct. 1, 2014 → Oct. 1, 2015annual edition 2014diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012; 79 FR 2380, Jan. 14, 2014]
  11. Oct. 1, 2012 → Oct. 1, 2014annual editions 2012–2013diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010; 77 FR 24133, Apr. 20, 2012]
  12. Oct. 1, 2010 → Oct. 1, 2012annual editions 2010–2011diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008; 75 FR 28502, May 21, 2010]
  13. Oct. 1, 2009 → Oct. 1, 2010annual edition 2009diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004; 73 FR 73127, Dec. 1, 2008]
  14. Oct. 1, 2004 → Oct. 1, 2009annual editions 2004–2008diff vs. previousviewing
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 16721, Mar. 30, 2004]
  15. Oct. 1, 2001 → Oct. 1, 2004annual editions 2001–2003diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998]
  16. Oct. 1, 1998 → Oct. 1, 2001annual editions 1998–2000diff vs. previous
    [63 FR 33277, June 18, 1998]
  17. Oct. 1, 1996 → Oct. 1, 1998annual edition 1996
    [35 FR 6460, Apr. 22, 1970, as amended at 35 FR 17420, Nov. 13, 1970; 41 FR 36656, Aug. 31, 1976; 42 FR 37370, July 21, 1977; 45 FR 46424, July 10, 1980; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 59 FR 8752, Feb. 23, 1994; 59 FR 60323, Nov. 23, 1994; 60 FR 38745, July 28, 1995]

A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section.