How to Obtain a Copy of Your Driving Record
Car insurance prices are heavily influenced by your driving record so let’s show you how to obtain a copy of your driving record
One of the most important elements that determine how much you spend on vehicle insurance is your driving record. In general, having a good driving record lowers your insurance prices. A history of accidents or significant traffic offenses, on the other hand, gives you a greater insurance risk and will almost certainly increase your premiums.
But how can you find out what’s on your driving record and how it affects your insurance rates? Learn how to examine your driving record and evaluate the information included within if you’re looking for new insurance coverage.
Important Points
• Your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles may give copies of your driving records for a cost.
• Various forms of driving records may be utilized for a variety of reasons, such as background checks and court appearances.
• A history of minor and severe traffic offenses, such as speeding tickets, accidents, and/or arrests for more serious offenses such as driving under the influence, may be found on a driver’s record.
• Your driving record might affect the amount you pay for vehicle insurance, however, accidents and other traffic offenses will go away with time.
What Does Your Driving Record Say About You?
Your driving record may include a range of information about your driving history. Your state’s regulations will determine what information is included and how long it stays on your driving record. In North Carolina, for example, your driving record contains the following information:
• Your full name and mailing address
• The number on your driver’s license
• The status of your license (i.e. valid, expired, suspended, etc.)
• Driver control actions, such as failing to yield or failure to come to a full stop,
• Driver control actions, such as failing to yield or failure to come to a full stop,
• Convictions connected to motor vehicle offenses
• Accident information
Any ongoing charges for traffic offenses, on the other hand, would not appear on your record.
It’s also worth noting that numerous forms of driving records exist. Using North Carolina as an example, drivers might expect to encounter:
• Record of residential driving history: This record contains information about your residential driving history.
• True certified copies: A certified true copy is a comprehensive driving record intended for use by federal and state agencies, as well as courts.
• Complete extract copies: This driving record is intended for the driver’s personal use, but it may also be given to employers or insurance providers.
• Limited additional copies: A limited extra copy of your driving record indicates your three-year driving history and may be used by employers as part of a background check or insurance firms to calculate rates.
In contrast, New York provides three different kinds of driving records: standard, limited, and commercial. Only the information that the DMV is obligated to preserve is included in the standard driving record, which is generally the most recent few years of driving history.
A limited driving record comprises all of the information the DMV has on a driver, but a commercial driving record provides driver information for any kind of vehicle in any state, including suspensions.
Note
A driver’s license is not required to have a driving record; any motorist who has been fined, had their license suspended, or been convicted for a traffic offense may have an official record.
How to Obtain a Copy of Your Driving Record
Depending on whatever state you reside in, the procedure for verifying your driving record may differ. But, in general, it entails:
But, in general, it entails:
• deciding which form of driving record you want
• filling out the relevant application
• providing evidence of identity, including your Social Security number
• paying any costs that apply
In South Carolina, for example, getting a copy of your driving record points summary online is free. However, there is a $6 cost if you want to see your three-year or ten-year driving record. In North Carolina, a three- or seven-year driving record, which is the kind utilized by insurance companies and employers5, costs $5 and $7, respectively.
Contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Public Safety to learn more about the requirements for obtaining a driving record. Although many states enable you to get a driving record online, others may require you to apply in person.
If a genuine cause is authorized by law, states may enable someone to check the record of another motorist.
Your Driving Record and How Insurance Companies Use It
As part of the underwriting process for vehicle insurance, the insurance company undertakes a risk assessment. This evaluation, or selection process, involves deciding how to categorize the applicant—for example, low risk vs high risk.
Reviewing the applicant’s driving history, which often includes moving infractions and accidents, both at-fault and not-at-fault, is the best approach to evaluate them. Based on the frequency and severity of recent driving offenses and crashes, the insurance provider may determine the amount of insurance risk.
While your auto insurance company is unable to get a complete motor vehicle record (MVR), it may obtain a summary of your most recent fines, accidents, and convictions. Your MVR’s lookback time varies by state and insurance carrier. This time frame is usually between three and five years, although it may be considerably longer. In California, for example, a DUI stays on the MVR record for 13 years and qualifies as an offense, while an accident has a look-back term of 39 months.
If the motorist has a history of accidents or traffic violations, he or she is more likely than other drivers to have similar issues in the future, putting the insurer’s coverage at risk. They’ll also very certainly file many, expensive insurance claims. As a consequence, the insurance company may judge the motorist as too dangerous to cover, or it may charge a higher premium to compensate for the likelihood of paying claims.
Other characteristics that insurance companies evaluate when determining rates include your credit score, age, where you reside, and the sort of automobile you drive.
What Does the MVR Include?
The MVR contains information regarding any criminal convictions linked with the driver’s record, such as DUIs and any cases in which the driver failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing related to a driving infraction, in addition to accidents and moving offenses.
The MVR also informs the insurance provider of any licensing limitations, such as not being permitted to drive at night owing to impaired vision. Within the lookback period, all past license suspensions or revocations are also considered.
What about if my record isn’t spotless?
Fortunately, even if you have to pay a higher insurance cost as a result of a poor MVR, it may not be permanent. For your violations are older than the lookback period, they are removed from your insurance summary and are no longer taken into account when calculating your premium. If your insurance provider has a three-year lookback period, for example, an accident you had in 2017 will be removed from your record in 2020. If you haven’t had any new crashes, your insurance premiums may drop when you renew your coverage.
How Long Do Car Accidents Stay on Your Record?
The duration of an accident on your driving record is determined by state legislation. An accident will often linger on your driving record for three to five years. The countdown period may begin on the day of the accident or at the end of the first year after the accident, depending on the state.
If you’ve had an accident on your record, the passage of time may assist you to get better insurance rates if you don’t have any new infractions or accidents. Meanwhile, you might inquire about reductions that could cut your rates or boost your deductibles in exchange for a reduced premium. You may also look around for the best auto insurance rates to get the greatest bargain on coverage.
