# Driver qualification file software that keeps every DQ file audit ready

> A driver qualification file is the record a motor carrier must maintain for each driver it employs, with its required contents set out at 49 CFR 391.51(b). It holds the employment application, motor vehicle records, the road test certificate, the annual review note and the medical examiner's certificate. The file is kept for as long as the driver is employed and for 3 years afterwards, while the motor vehicle record inquiry repeats every 12 months and the medical certificate expires at 24. Neurobird holds each file with every date counting down.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/driverfile/
- Product: Neurobird Driver Qualification File Compliance Platform
- Niche: driver qualification file
- Buyer: motor carriers and DOT safety managers
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird Driver Qualification File does

- Hold every document 49 CFR 391.51(b) requires, per driver, with the date it was executed and the date it expires
- Run the annual motor vehicle record inquiry and record the review note that has to sit beside it
- Watch medical certificate, licence and endorsement expiry far enough ahead that a driver is never running unqualified
- Keep the file for the whole of employment plus 3 years, and know which records can drop out at 3 years

## How it works

1. **Every driver is a file** Application, motor vehicle record, road test certificate, annual review note, medical examiner's certificate and any variance, each held with its own date.
2. **Dates drive the work list** The annual inquiry, the annual review, the medical certificate and the Clearinghouse query all count down on the same board, so nothing is discovered late.
3. **Retention is automatic** The file is held for as long as the driver is employed and for 3 years afterwards, and the records section 391.51(d) allows to be removed at 3 years are marked as such.

## From the source material

> That record must be obtained from the current licensing State and placed in the driver qualification file.

Source: 49 CFR 391.51, general requirements for driver qualification files, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.51

## Industry context

- **391.51** Section 391.51(b) lists eight categories of document a driver qualification file must contain, from the employment application through to the note verifying the medical examiner's listing on the National Registry. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR 391.51, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.51)
- **3 years** Section 391.51(c) requires the file to be retained for as long as the driver is employed and for 3 years thereafter, with a defined short list of records that may be removed 3 years after execution. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR 391.51, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.51)
- **12 months** A carrier must make an inquiry to each licensing authority at least once every 12 months for every driver, and record a note naming the person who reviewed the record and the date of that review. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR 391.25, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.25)
- **24 months** Any driver who has not been medically examined and certified during the preceding 24 months must be examined again before operating a commercial motor vehicle, with 12 month cycles applying to several exemption categories. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR 391.45, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.45)
- **30 days** Within 30 days of a driver's employment start, the carrier must inquire to each licensing authority covering the prior 3 year driving history, and investigate safety performance history with regulated employers over the preceding 3 years. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR 391.23, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.23)
- **382.701** Employers must run a pre-employment full query of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and a query at least once per year for every driver subject to controlled substance and alcohol testing. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR 382.701, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.701)

## Pricing

- Small fleet: $140 per fleet, per month
- Carrier: $280 per fleet, per month
- Multi carrier: $560 per fleet, per month

## Questions

### What is a driver qualification file?

A driver qualification file is the record a motor carrier must maintain for every driver it employs, listed at 49 CFR 391.51(b). It holds the employment application, the motor vehicle record obtained on hiring, the road test certificate or accepted equivalent, the annual motor vehicle record and review note, the medical examiner's certificate and any medical variance. It may be combined with the personnel file.

### What are the retention rules for a DQ file?

Section 391.51(c) requires the file to be retained for as long as the driver is employed by that carrier and for 3 years afterwards. Section 391.51(d) then allows a short list of records, including the annual motor vehicle record, the annual review note and the medical examiner's certificate, to be removed 3 years after the date of execution.

### How often does a driver need a medical examination?

Section 391.45(b) requires re-examination if a driver has not been medically examined and certified during the preceding 24 months. Drivers on an exempt intracity zone certificate, an insulin treated diabetes certificate or a vision exemption run on a 12 month cycle instead.

### What does a new hire trigger?

Section 391.23 requires an inquiry to each licensing authority within 30 days of the employment start date covering the prior 3 year driving history, plus an investigation of the driver's safety performance history with regulated employers over the preceding 3 years. Both land in the file.

### Does it handle hours of service?

No. Logs stay with your electronic logging device provider. What lives here is qualification: the documents, their dates and the evidence that somebody reviewed them.

### Can an auditor be given access?

Yes. A file exports as one document per driver, in the order 391.51(b) lists, with the dates visible. That is usually the difference between a two hour audit and a two day one.

## Sources

- [49 CFR 391.51, general requirements for driver qualification files](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.51)
- [49 CFR 391.25, annual inquiry and review of driving record](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.25)
- [49 CFR 391.45, who must be medically examined](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.45)
- [49 CFR 391.23, investigation and inquiries](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.23)
- [49 CFR 382.701, Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/382.701)
- [49 CFR Part 391, qualifications of drivers](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/