Request your driving record from the official motor-vehicle or driver-licensing agency in the state that issued your license. Check that agency’s instructions for available request methods, the record period and certification you need, the fee, identity requirements, and delivery format. These details vary by state, so confirm them before you pay.
How do I get a copy of my driving record?
- Find the issuing state’s official agency. Use the agency’s own website and search for “driver record,” “driving history,” or “motor vehicle record.” The agency may have a name other than DMV. Request the record from the state that issued your license, rather than assuming another state or a national service holds the version you need.
- Ask the organization requesting the record what it will accept. If the request comes from an employer, court, insurer, or licensing agency, confirm whether it needs a certified copy, how many years of history it requires, and whether it accepts a downloaded record or requires a paper original. Do this before choosing a request route.
- Compare the state’s available request methods. Follow the issuing agency’s current instructions for online, mail, in-person, or any other listed method. The options may differ by state, and a record available online may not have the same certification or format as one ordered by mail.
- Check the requirements for your selected method. Depending on the state, you may need an account, a completed form, license details, identification, payment, or notarization. Use the exact checklist for your state and request type; another state’s requirements do not apply automatically.
- Save or retrieve the record as instructed. Check how it will be delivered, when it should arrive, and whether an online download is available only for a limited time. Keep a copy if permitted and provide it to the requesting organization in its accepted format.
A driving record is a record associated with a licensed driver. It is not the same as a vehicle history report or a vehicle-registration record.
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Can I request my driving record online, or do I have to go in person?
It depends on the issuing state and, sometimes, on the type of copy you need. Official examples show that online ordering is not always interchangeable with other routes:
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- California: The DMV offers an online view-and-print request requiring a MyDMV account and payment information. It says certified copies must be requested by mail using form INF 1125 and the applicable fee. California DMV driver-record instructions.
- West Virginia: The DMV lists online, in-person, mail, and email requests for an individual’s own record. Its instructions specify the request form, valid driver’s license or state photo ID, and fee. West Virginia DMV driving-record instructions.
- Virginia: The DMV offers a service to order or view a driver record. For mail requests, it says the record will be mailed within five business days; it also advises keeping the address on the license or ID current. Virginia DMV record-request instructions.
- Delaware: Eligible license holders can buy a certified record online through MyDMV. The DMV also describes in-person and mail options, with separate release-form requirements for mail. Delaware DMV driver-record services and Delaware DMV record-request instructions.
- North Carolina: The DMV search result describes online, mail, and in-person ordering, including certified and non-certified online records in PDF format. Check the linked agency page for current instructions. North Carolina DMV records and reports.
These are examples, not a complete state-by-state directory. Use your issuing agency’s current page to determine whether you can complete the request remotely and whether that route supplies the copy your recipient needs.
Do I need a certified driving record?
Ask the organization that requested the record. “Certified” can matter when a record must be official for a particular use, but do not assume an online copy is certified or will be accepted. States can offer different certification options through different request methods: California distinguishes an online view-and-print record from certified copies requested by mail, while Delaware describes its eligible online purchase as certified.
Also confirm the required history period and delivery format. A recipient may ask for a particular number of years, a full-history record, or a paper copy; the right option is the one the recipient will accept and the state actually offers.
How much does a DMV driving record cost?
There is no single national fee. Check the issuing agency’s current fee for the specific record and request method before submitting payment. As state-specific examples, the California DMV page lists $2 for an Internet-interface request and $5 for a mailed request; those amounts are California figures, not nationwide prices. California DMV driver-record instructions.
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Fees, available record periods, and processing or delivery details are state-specific and may change. Do not rely on a price or timeline from another state—or on an old copy of an agency’s instructions.
What information and documents might I need?
Follow the requirements for your state and selected request route. The examples illustrate why there is no universal checklist:
- California’s online request requires a MyDMV account and payment information; its certified-copy process uses form INF 1125 and a fee.
- West Virginia lists a completed request form, a valid driver’s license or state photo ID, and a fee for an individual’s own record.
- Delaware’s mail instructions call for a completed personal-information release form and notarization, unless the request is submitted in person.
Use the linked agency instructions for the actual form, identification, payment, and submission details. These state examples should not be treated as requirements in other states.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How long will it take, and how do I receive the record?
Delivery depends on the state and request method. Virginia says a record requested by mail will be mailed within five business days. Delaware says a purchased online record can be downloaded after payment and remains available for up to 90 days. These are service details for those states, not general delivery guarantees.
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Check whether the agency provides a download, mails a paper record, or requires pickup, and note any access limit on a digital copy. If you need the record by a deadline, allow for the stated processing and delivery method rather than assuming an online option is available.
Can I request another person’s driving record?
Do not assume another person’s full record is public or available on the same terms as your own. States may limit access, require written authorization, or permit disclosure only for a qualifying purpose. California uses separate processes for own-record and third-party requests and says confidential information such as an address or Social Security number is not public. West Virginia requires written authorization or another qualifying basis for many requests about someone else. Check the issuing state’s access rules before submitting another person’s information.
What if my driving record is wrong?
Use the issuing agency’s correction or dispute process rather than trying to resolve an error through a third-party records provider. California directs drivers to forms for reporting an incorrect driver record or traffic-collision record. For another state, look for the agency’s official record-correction instructions and follow the submission requirements shown there. California DMV driver-record instructions.
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