The DOT Accident Register is the record FMCSA requires every motor carrier to keep of each qualifying crash involving its commercial motor vehicles. Under 49 CFR 390.15, carriers must log basic facts about each accident, keep copies of required accident reports, and hold that information for 3 years so investigators can review the carrier's crash history.
The register is short, but it matters. Investigators review it during a compliance investigation to understand a carrier's crash history, and a complete register also helps the carrier spot patterns and show that it is learning from its crashes.
What Is the DOT Accident Register Requirement?
49 CFR 390.15, titled Assistance in investigations and special studies, is part of the general provisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Paragraph (a) requires carriers to make accident records available to FMCSA and authorized state, local and third-party representatives on request, and to give reasonable assistance in any accident investigation. Paragraph (b) requires the accident register itself. For a practical overview of the term, see the SMS360 glossary entry on the vehicle accident register.
What counts as an "accident"
The register covers accidents as defined in 49 CFR 390.5T: an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle on a highway in interstate or intrastate operation that results in:
- A fatality
- Bodily injury to a person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene, or
- One or more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage that requires the vehicle to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle
The definition excludes occurrences involving only boarding and alighting from a stationary vehicle, and occurrences involving only loading or unloading cargo.
Disabling damage means damage that prevents a vehicle from leaving the scene in its usual manner in daylight after simple repairs, including damage that would cause further damage if the vehicle were driven. It does not include damage that can be temporarily fixed at the scene without special tools or parts, tire disablement alone, headlamp or taillight damage, or damage to turn signals, horn or windshield wipers.
A crash that meets none of the three thresholds, such as a minor backing incident with no injuries and no tow, is not a DOT recordable accident, although many carriers still track it internally as an incident or near miss.
Who Must Comply?
Section 390.15(b) applies to motor carriers subject to the FMCSRs, which generally means carriers operating commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. A commercial motor vehicle includes vehicles rated at 10,001 pounds or more, vehicles designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers for compensation or more than 15 not for compensation, and vehicles carrying placarded hazardous materials. The requirement covers non-CDL vehicles such as box trucks and service trucks as well as tractor-trailers and buses.
The accident definition includes crashes in intrastate operation, so a crash involving one of the carrier's commercial vehicles on a local run still belongs in the register. Many states also apply 390.15 to purely intrastate carriers. Intermodal equipment providers are covered by the assistance duties in 390.15(a).
Key Requirements
Register contents
Under 390.15(b)(1), the register must list each accident and include, at a minimum:
- Date of the accident
- City or town, or the place nearest to where it occurred, and the state
- Driver name
- Number of injuries
- Number of fatalities
- Whether hazardous materials, other than fuel spilled from the fuel tanks of the vehicle involved, were released
FMCSA guidance says there is no specified form. A carrier may create its own register, on paper or electronically, as long as it contains the required elements. Many carriers add fields such as vehicle number, a brief description, police report number and whether post-accident drug and alcohol testing was required.
Copies of accident reports
Under 390.15(b)(2), the carrier must also keep copies of all accident reports required by state or other governmental entities or by insurers. FMCSA guidance clarifies that this means reports the carrier or its driver prepared to meet those reporting obligations. Carriers are not required to obtain copies of reports prepared by police, state investigators or insurers, although many do.
Assistance with investigations
Under 390.15(a), the carrier must make accident records and information available to authorized representatives within the time the request specifies and give reasonable help during an investigation, including complete and accurate answers to questions.
Retention Requirements
The accident register must be kept for 3 years after the date of each accident. In practice, the register should always show at least the most recent 3 years of crash history. Keep the supporting report copies with the register for the same period so the file is complete when auditors ask.
Related Obligations After a Crash
The accident register is one of several duties a crash can trigger. Depending on the circumstances, a carrier may also need to:
- Conduct post-accident drug and alcohol testing for CDL drivers under 49 CFR 382.303, which has its own criteria and time limits; see the DOT drug and alcohol testing page
- File any reports required by the state where the crash occurred and by the carrier's insurer
- Report hazardous materials incidents to PHMSA where the hazmat regulations require it
- Request a review through FMCSA's Crash Preventability Determination Program if the crash is an eligible type, so a not preventable crash is excluded from the carrier's Crash Indicator measure in the CSA program
Common Compliance Mistakes
- No register at all, or a spreadsheet missing required fields such as the hazmat release question
- Leaving out crashes where the driver was not at fault; preventability does not affect whether a crash is recordable
- Leaving out intrastate crashes or crashes involving non-CDL commercial vehicles
- Recording incidents that do not meet the definition while missing tow-away crashes that do
- No copies of the state or insurer reports the carrier or driver filed
- Purging entries before 3 years have passed
- Register entries that do not match the crash reports on file
Failing to keep copies of required accident reports under 390.15(b)(2) is listed as a critical violation in FMCSA's safety rating methodology. Civil penalties for recordkeeping violations are set in Appendix B to 49 CFR Part 386 and adjusted annually for inflation. An incomplete register also makes it harder for a carrier to explain its crash history during an investigation.
How to Comply: Step by Step
- Set up a register. Create a paper or electronic log with all six required fields plus any internal fields you want.
- Train drivers and dispatchers. Make sure every crash is reported to the safety department immediately, with photos and police report details.
- Apply the definition. Decide whether each crash meets the fatality, injury or tow-away threshold, and document the reasoning.
- Enter the accident. Record it promptly, regardless of fault.
- Collect report copies. File the state and insurer reports the carrier or driver submitted.
- Handle related duties. Check post-accident testing, hazmat reporting and preventability review eligibility.
- Investigate and act. Use root cause analysis to find contributing factors and assign corrective actions.
- Review and retain. Reconcile the register against state crash data periodically and keep each entry for 3 years.
How SMS360 Helps
The SMS360 Vehicle Accident Register module gives fleets a structured way to record crashes and keep the related documents together. Teams can capture accident details with digital forms, attach police, state and insurer reports, assign and track corrective actions from the investigation, and see crash trends on dashboards. Mobile access helps drivers and supervisors report crashes from the scene, and having the register and supporting records organized in one place simplifies DOT audit preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What accidents must be recorded on the DOT accident register?
Any crash involving a commercial motor vehicle on a highway that results in a fatality, an injury treated immediately away from the scene, or disabling damage requiring a vehicle to be towed away. Crashes involving only boarding and alighting from a stationary vehicle, or only loading and unloading cargo, are excluded.
How long must the accident register be kept?
Under 49 CFR 390.15(b), the register must be kept for 3 years after the date of each accident. Copies of the state and insurer accident reports the carrier or driver filed should be kept with it.
Do not-at-fault accidents go on the register?
Yes. The register is based on the outcome of the crash, not fault. If a crash meets the fatality, injury or tow-away threshold, it must be recorded even if the driver was not at fault. Fault matters separately for the Crash Preventability Determination Program.
Is there an official DOT accident register form?
No. FMCSA guidance says there is no specified form. A carrier may use its own paper or electronic register as long as it includes the date, location, driver name, number of injuries, number of fatalities and whether hazardous materials were released.
