FMCSA · 49 CFR 391.51 · Live prices · Updated October 14, 2026

How much does a driver qualification file cost?Record fees, management fees and what is included with our membership

A driver qualification file is a set of records the motor carrier keeps for each driver (49 CFR 391.51), so what it costs is the records that go into it plus the time or software used to keep it. The main outside costs are the state driving records (MVRs), pulled at hire and at least every 12 months, and the DOT medical exam. With Vertical Identity, DQF Pro driver-file software is $48 per driver a year, plus the reports you need, bought as you need them (member MVRs run $14.25–$39.75 per state). Add the DOT random testing program for $37 more: the $85/year membership includes both.

Join now · $85/year → Call (602) 899-1606 Book a discovery call

Regulations read on the eCFR on October 14, 2026 · Prices from our live price list · Published by Vertical Identity

DQF costs at a glance

$14.25+member MVR price, set by state (range $14.25–$39.75)

12months, at most, between MVRs for each driver (§ 391.25(a))

24months, at most, between DOT medical exams (§ 391.45)

$48DQF Pro per driver a year, plus the reports you buy

+$37adds the random testing program: $85/year membership, DQF Pro included

Prices from the Vertical Identity price list; rules from 49 CFR 391.25 and 391.45, read October 14, 2026.

— 49 CFR 391.51(b)

What does each record in a driver qualification file cost?

The outside costs are the MVRs and the medical exam; the application, road test and review notes take staff time. These are the records § 391.51(b) lists for every driver, and what each one costs.

Record	What it costs	How often	Rule
Employment application	Your time. It is made on a form you furnish and completed and signed by the applicant.	Once, before the driver drives	§ 391.21
Pre-hire MVR	One record from each state that licensed the driver in the past 3 years. Member prices $14.25–$39.75 per state; non-member $19.25–$44.75. See every state →	At hire, in the file within 30 days	§ 391.23(a)(1), (b)
Road test certificate, or a copy of the CDL	The time of the person who gives the test, who can be you or someone you designate. For a CDL driver, you may accept a valid CDL instead and keep a copy.	Once, before the driver drives	§ 391.31(b) § 391.33
Medical certification	The exam fee. Members can order a DOT physical through us at $129; other clinics set their own prices. For CDL holders, the file holds the driving record from the current licensing state showing medical certification status.	At least every 24 months	§ 391.45 § 391.51(b)(6)
National Registry note (non-CDL drivers)	Your time: a note that you verified the medical examiner is on the National Registry.	With each new medical certificate	§ 391.23(m)(1)
Annual MVR	The same per-state price as the pre-hire MVR, for each state where the driver held a license or permit in the period.	At least every 12 months	§ 391.25(a)
Annual review note	Your time: a review of the MVR and a note with the reviewer’s name and the date.	At least every 12 months	§ 391.25(b), (c)(2)

Keep the file while the driver works for you and for three years after (§ 391.51(c)). Rules read on eCFR October 14, 2026; paraphrased. Prices from the Vertical Identity price list when this page was built.

— Management fees

What does it cost to keep DQFs yourself, with software, or with a service?

The record costs are the same every way; what changes is who does the tracking and what you pay for it. Whichever you choose, the motor carrier is the one required to keep a file for each driver (§ 391.51(a)).

Yourself

Paper or spreadsheet

You pay the record costs and do the tracking: every MVR and review note due within 12 months, every medical certificate before it expires, and three years of retention after a driver leaves.

Software

A yearly subscription

DQF software keeps each driver’s records in one place and reminds you what is due. DQF Pro alone is $48 per driver a year, or $199 a year for unlimited drivers, and it is included with our membership. Compare DQF software prices →

Service

Someone else keeps the files

A management service does the tracking for you. Before you compare prices, ask whether the MVRs, the annual review and medical-card follow-up are in the fee or billed on top.

— DQF Pro included

How much does a DQF cost with Vertical Identity?

DQF Pro is $48 per driver a year, plus the reports you buy as you need them. Add the DOT random testing program for $37 more and you have the membership: $85/year for the first driver, DQF Pro included. One membership, one price, one portal. DQF Pro is built for CDL drivers’ files. Records such as MVRs are ordered when you need them, at member prices.

CDL drivers	Membership: random program + DQF Pro, per year	DQF Pro alone, per year
1	$85 (first driver)	$48 per driver, or $199 unlimited
3	$135 ($85 + 2 × $25)	$144 per driver, or $199 unlimited
5	$185 ($85 + 4 × $25)	$240 per driver, or $199 unlimited
10	$295 (Fleet plan, unlimited CDL drivers)	$480 per driver, or $199 unlimited

Membership: $85/year for the first driver and $25/year for each additional driver; from 9 drivers we put you on the Fleet plan, $295/year for unlimited CDL drivers. Full membership pricing. The testing program is included; drug tests are ordered separately when you need them.

Your random program and your DQFs, one membership

Random pool placement, selection notices, C/TPA designation in the Clearinghouse at no charge and a same-day Certificate of Enrollment, plus DQF Pro with reminders before a medical card or CDL lapses. VID Intelligence reads your driver’s license and medical card and fills in the paperwork for you.

Join online: members.verticalidentity.com/enroll · How DQF Pro works →

Join now · $85/year → Call (602) 899-1606 Book a discovery call

— Not in the DQF

What other hiring costs sit next to the DQF?

For a CDL driver, the pre-employment drug test and the Clearinghouse query are required at hire, but they are not DQF records. Drug and alcohol records are not among the records in § 391.51(b), and Part 382 testing applies to drivers who need a CDL (§ 382.103(a)).

Check	Required?	Vertical Identity price	Rule
Pre-employment drug test (CDL drivers)	Required	$69, ordered when you need it	§ 382.301(a)
Clearinghouse queries: a full query at hire, then a query at least once a year (CDL drivers)	Required	$12 per query (our fee; the FMCSA query credit is separate)	§ 382.701(a), (b)
PSP report	Recommended, not required	$20	—
CDLIS report	Recommended, not required	$10	—
Criminal background check	Recommended, not required	$39	—

Previous-employer safety performance history goes in a separate driver investigation history file (§ 391.53). Every hiring check, in order: CDL driver onboarding.

— Common questions

DQF cost FAQ

Don't see yours? Call or text (602) 899-1606.
Hours: Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ
[email protected]

How much does a driver qualification file cost?

What are driver qualification file management fees?

They are what a software company or service charges to help you keep the files, on top of the record costs; 49 CFR 391.51(a) makes the motor carrier responsible for keeping a file for each driver either way. DQF Pro alone is $48 per driver a year or $199 a year for unlimited drivers, and it is included with the Vertical Identity membership. When comparing, ask whether MVRs, the annual review and reminders are in the price or extra.

How much does an MVR for a driver qualification file cost?

It depends on the state. Through Vertical Identity, member MVR prices run $14.25–$39.75 per state (non-member $19.25–$44.75). You need one from each state that licensed the driver in the past 3 years within 30 days of the date employment begins (49 CFR 391.23(a)(1), (b)), and a new one at least every 12 months (49 CFR 391.25(a)).

How much does the DOT medical exam cost?

Vertical Identity members can order a DOT physical with a National Registry medical examiner in our network at the member price of $129; other clinics set their own prices. The exam is needed at least every 24 months, and sooner for some conditions (49 CFR 391.45).

Is DQF software included with a DOT consortium?

With Vertical Identity, yes. The annual membership includes the DOT random testing program and DQF Pro, our driver qualification file software built for CDL drivers: $85/year for the first driver and $25/year for each additional driver, or $295/year for unlimited CDL drivers. Drug tests and checks such as MVRs are ordered separately, at member prices.

Does it cost anything to do the road test?

The rule lets the motor carrier give the road test or designate a person to give it (49 CFR 391.31(b)), so the main cost is that person’s time. For a CDL driver, the carrier may accept a valid CDL as the equivalent of the road test and keep a legible copy in the file (49 CFR 391.33).

Are drug tests part of the driver qualification file cost?

No. Drug and alcohol test records are not among the records listed in 49 CFR 391.51(b). For drivers who need a CDL, the pre-employment drug test (49 CFR 382.301(a)) and the Clearinghouse queries (49 CFR 382.701) are separate hiring costs: at Vertical Identity, $69 for a pre-employment drug test and $12 per Clearinghouse query (our fee; the FMCSA query credit is separate).

— Go deeper

Your random program and every driver’s DQF, one membership.

$85/year for the first driver, DQF Pro included. MVRs (required) and the recommended PSP, CDLIS and criminal background checks are ordered in the same portal. Join online: members.verticalidentity.com/enroll

Join now · $85/year→ Call to sign up · (602) 899-1606→ Book a discovery call→

Call or text: (602) 899-1606 · Hours: Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ · [email protected]