Electronic DVIRs

Home · DVIR Guides · Electronic DVIRs

Last reviewed November 12, 2026.

Electronic DVIRs are allowed under federal law. Two layers of rules now say so.

What Part 396 itself now says

The current text of 49 CFR 396.11(a)(6) states that the report required by paragraph (a) may be created and maintained in electronic format, in accordance with 49 CFR 390.32. The same permission is in 49 CFR 396.11(b)(5) for intermodal equipment reports, and in 49 CFR 396.13(d) for the reports required by the pre-trip review-and-sign rule.

Those sentences were added to §§ 396.11 and 396.13 by an amendment noted on the eCFR as 91 FR 7896 (February 19, 2026). They make explicit in Part 396 what 49 CFR 390.32 had already authorized more generally.

The general electronic-records rule: 49 CFR 390.32

49 CFR 390.32, issued in 2018 (83 FR 16226, April 16, 2018), applies to documents that entities or individuals are required to retain, even if FMCSA later requires them to be produced or displayed. It does not apply to documents that must be submitted directly to FMCSA.

Under § 390.32(b), any person or entity required to generate, maintain, or exchange documents to satisfy requirements in 49 CFR parts 300–399 may use electronic methods to satisfy those requirements.

Under § 390.32(c), any person or entity required to sign or certify a document to satisfy those same requirements may use an electronic signature, as defined in 49 CFR 390.5T. An electronic signature may be made using any available technology that otherwise satisfies FMCSA's requirements.

Conditions an electronic DVIR still has to meet

49 CFR 390.32(d) sets conditions. A person or entity may use documents that are signed, certified, generated, maintained, or exchanged electronically if the documents accurately reflect the information otherwise required to be in them. Electronic records, documents, or signatures do not satisfy the rule if they:

• are not capable of being retained;
• are not used for the purpose for which they were created; or
• cannot be accurately reproduced within required timeframes for reference by any party entitled to access.

Records or documents generated electronically also do not satisfy § 390.32 if they do not include proof of consent to use electronically generated records or documents, as required by 15 U.S.C. 7001(c).

In plain terms, an electronic DVIR still has to capture the information 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13 require (vehicle identification, listed defects, driver signature, carrier repair certification, and the next driver's acknowledgment when those items apply). It still has to be keepable for the required retention period and reproducible when a person entitled to see it asks for it, including during an inspection or investigation.

Paper forms remain acceptable

The federal rules allow electronic methods. They do not require them. A paper DVIR that meets 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13 remains a valid way to comply. Free printable templates are available on this site.

Related guides

• Post-trip report (49 CFR 396.11)
• Pre-trip inspection (49 CFR 396.13)
• Record retention and carrier responsibilities
• US DVIR regulation changes since 2010

Sources

• 49 CFR 396.11(a)(6) and (b)(5) — Electronic reporting, citing 91 FR 7896 (February 19, 2026)
• 49 CFR 396.13(d) — Electronic format for § 396.13 reports
• 49 CFR 390.32 — Electronic documents and signatures (83 FR 16226, April 16, 2018)