// RESEARCH · EVIDENCE
How long do trucking
companies keep records?
Federal rules require trucking companies to keep some records for as little as six months. Here is each minimum period, the rule it comes from, and why timing matters after a crash.
// FEDERAL MINIMUM RETENTION PERIODS
Four record types and how long the rules require them to be kept
Driver records of duty status (logs) and supporting documents
Minimum retention: At least 6 months from the date the carrier receives them.
These show hours driven and rest taken, which is why they matter in fatigue and hours-of-service questions.
49 CFR 395.8(k)(1) (eCFR) ↗Vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance records
Minimum retention: 1 year at the place the vehicle is housed or maintained, and 6 months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control.
Relevant to brake, tire and other equipment-failure questions.
49 CFR 396.3(c) (eCFR) ↗Driver qualification file
Minimum retention: For as long as the driver is employed by the carrier, plus 3 years.
Holds items such as the employment application and licensing records. Paragraph (d) lets some items be removed three years after they were executed.
49 CFR 391.51(c) (eCFR) ↗Accident register and copies of accident reports
Minimum retention: 3 years after the date of each accident.
The register lists date, location, driver name, injuries, fatalities and any hazardous-materials release.
49 CFR 390.15(b) (eCFR) ↗US FEDERAL RULES · TEXT CHECKED ON THE ECFR 16 OCTOBER 2026 · REGULATIONS CAN BE AMENDED.
Why these periods matter after a crash
The shortest period is also one of the most important. Records of duty status only have to be kept for six months, so a crash that is reported to a lawyer well after the event may involve logs the carrier is no longer required to hold. The accident register, by contrast, is kept for three years, but it is a summary list, not the underlying evidence.
Carriers also have to make accident records available to FMCSA and to authorised state or local enforcement representatives when they are requested (49 CFR 390.15(a)). That duty runs to investigators, not to an injured person, so a claimant's access to these records usually depends on the claim process itself.
The periods above are the federal floor for these specific record types. They do not describe what a court may expect a company to preserve once it knows a claim is likely, and this page does not cover state evidence-preservation rules. For how the logs themselves are used, see our guide to hours-of-service violations; for equipment failures, see brake failure claims.
This is general information about US federal regulations as of the date above. It is not legal advice and does not assess any individual claim; a licensed attorney in your state can advise on your situation, including filing deadlines on your state page.
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- What to do after a truck accident → — the step-by-step checklist.
- Which FMCSA violations affect a claim → — the seven major violation types.