Every motor carrier subject to the FMCSRs must keep an accident register. It is a simple record, yet it trips up carriers during compliance reviews all the time. Sometimes the register does not exist. Sometimes it lists the wrong crashes. Often it is missing details.
This guide covers what counts as a DOT accident and what the register must contain.
What the rule requires
The accident register requirement is in 49 CFR 390.15. Motor carriers must keep an accident register covering accidents that occurred in the past three years. You must make the register and related information available to FMCSA and other authorized officials during an investigation.
The register is not a report you file with FMCSA. It is a record you keep and produce when asked.
What counts as a DOT “accident”
The definition is in 49 CFR 390.5. An accident is an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle operating on a highway in interstate or intrastate commerce that results in:
- A fatality, or
- Bodily injury to a person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene, or
- One or more vehicles incurring disabling damage that requires the vehicle to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle.
Several things do not count:
- An occurrence involving only getting into or out of a parked vehicle.
- An occurrence involving only loading or unloading cargo.
Fault does not matter for the register. If your truck was stopped at a light and someone hit it hard enough to require a tow, it is still a DOT recordable accident. Record it.
Minor incidents, such as a scraped mirror in a parking lot with no injury and no tow, generally do not meet the definition. Many carriers log them internally anyway for safety tracking, but keep them separate from the DOT register.
What to record for each accident
Under 49 CFR 390.15, the register must include at least:
- Date of the accident.
- City or town, or the place closest to the accident, and the state where it occurred.
- Driver’s name.
- Number of injuries.
- Number of fatalities.
- Whether hazardous materials, other than fuel spilled from the fuel tanks of the vehicles involved, were released.
You must also keep copies of all accident reports required by state or other governmental entities or by insurers.
Keep the entries clear and consistent. A simple list sorted by date works fine. What matters is that every recordable accident appears and every required field is filled in.
How long to keep it
Each accident stays on the register for three years after the date of the accident. Keep the supporting reports for the same period.
How the register connects to your safety rating
The accident register feeds into the accident factor during a compliance review. Investigators use your recordable accidents, along with your mileage, to look at your rate of recordable preventable accidents. A high rate can affect your safety rating.
Failing to maintain the register at all is also a violation in its own right. It is an easy finding for an investigator and an easy one for you to avoid.
Separately, FMCSA runs a Crash Preventability Determination Program that lets carriers request review of certain eligible crashes shown in their safety data. Eligibility rules are specific, so check FMCSA’s current guidance before submitting.
Related obligations after a crash
A crash on the register often triggers other requirements. Make sure your process covers them:
- Post-accident drug and alcohol testing under 49 CFR 382.303, when the crash meets the testing criteria.
- Vehicle inspection and repair before the unit returns to service.
- Insurance notification under your policy terms.
- State crash reports where required.
- Hazmat incident reporting under the hazardous materials regulations, if a release occurred.
Tying these together in one post-crash checklist helps make sure nothing is missed on a stressful day.
Use this quick check for each crash:
- Does the crash involve a CMV on a highway?
- Was there a fatality, an injury treated away from the scene or a tow-away due to disabling damage?
- Is the date, location, driver, injuries, fatalities and hazmat release recorded?
- Are copies of police, state and insurer reports on file?
- Is the register current for the past three years?
A crash creates records across several parts of your program: driver files, testing, maintenance and insurance. DOT Compliance Watch helps you keep those records organized in one system, so the register and its supporting paperwork are ready when an investigator asks. If you are unsure whether a specific event is recordable, check with FMCSA or a qualified advisor.
Keep your records audit-ready
The accident register takes a few minutes per crash to maintain and can save you a finding during a review. Build the habit now. Start a free 14-day trial and see how simple organized records can be.