This free motor carrier accident register template records the information required by 49 CFR 390.15 for each FMCSA-defined accident. It also provides a controlled place to track report requests, preventability review and corrective action without changing the federal register fields.
FMCSA does not prescribe one mandatory accident-register form. The carrier must keep the required information and make both the register and available accident reports accessible when requested by an authorized FMCSA representative or special agent.
Which accidents belong on the register?
Use the definition in 49 CFR 390.5. In general, the event involves a commercial motor vehicle operating on a highway in interstate or intrastate commerce and results in a fatality, bodily injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from the scene, or disabling damage requiring a motor vehicle to be transported away by tow truck or another motor vehicle.
Boarding or alighting from a stationary vehicle and loading or unloading cargo are excluded from the federal accident definition. A carrier may track those events elsewhere, but should not blur the required federal register with unrelated incidents.
What 49 CFR 390.15 requires
- Date of the accident
- City or town, or the closest location, and state
- Driver’s name
- Number of fatalities
- Number of injuries
- Whether hazardous materials other than fuel spilled from the vehicle were released
The carrier must retain the register for three years after the date of each accident. It must also keep copies of accident reports required by a state or other governmental entity or insurer.
How to use the PDF
Enter one line for every qualifying accident. Give the event an internal file reference so the register can be tied to the police report, insurer notice, drug and alcohol testing decision, photographs, driver statement and corrective-action record. Restrict access to personal and medical material.
The extra review worksheet is operational support, not a replacement for the required register. Do not mark an accident preventable or non-preventable without a consistent review standard and evidence.
Post-accident testing is a separate decision
An event can meet the accident-register definition without triggering DOT post-accident testing, and testing can depend on citations and whether a human fatality occurred. Use 49 CFR 382.303 and the testing time limits to make a documented decision promptly. Do not wait for an insurer’s conclusion.
Related records and support
Use the CSA score improvement plan worksheet to turn recurring causes into assigned actions. For an independent review of accident, driver and safety-management records, see mock DOT audit support.
Official references
Verify the current text of 49 CFR 390.15 and the accident definition in 49 CFR 390.5.
Last reviewed August 18, 2026. General information only, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How long must a motor carrier keep an accident register?
49 CFR 390.15 requires the carrier to retain each accident entry for three years after the date of the accident.
Does FMCSA require one specific accident register form?
No. The regulation prescribes the information and retention, not one mandatory form layout.
What accidents belong on the federal register?
Use the accident definition in 49 CFR 390.5, including the fatality, immediate treatment away from the scene and disabling tow-away criteria.
Is post-accident drug testing required for every register accident?
No. Post-accident testing follows the separate conditions and time limits in 49 CFR 382.303.
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