Reviewing Your Personal Driving Record

Need to get a copy of your driving record? Learn how to get it.

By Meha Ahmad, Insuranceagents.com Staff Writer

The responsible driver checks their driving record at least every 2-3 years. Your driving record can affect how much you pay for your car insurance policy. Knowing how many violations are on it or whether you have an ideal driving record is valuable knowledge. To find the lowest rates on a new policy use our online quote from to compare offers and save. If you’ve got a clean record, you should be sure to alert your car insurance agent so you can get a reduction on your auto insurance premium. On the flip side, if you find that you’ve got many violations on your driving record, you can proceed by taking steps to clean your record and/or learn better driving habits.This can be very beneficial when requesting car insurance quotes, to lower your premium.

How to obtain a copy of your driving record:

(Note: Copies of your driving record aren’t usually free, so expect to shell out a few bucks for a copy.)

1. Look on the Web. If you’re looking for only a basic, condensed version of your driving record, check online. Some government or private agencies will offer you a bare-bones version of your driving record. Though it won’t be a complete copy of your record, it will most likely be free.
2. Check with your Car Insurance Carrier. Your insurer has a copy of your driving record (obtained when you first applied for your car insurance policy). Technically, the record is the property of your carrier (they paid for that copy, so they own it), but some may be willing to share it with you.
3. Just ask the DMV. The most common, fool-proof way of getting a copy of your driving record is by checking with your local DMV. You may need to fill out a form called a Copy Records Request, show two forms of ID and pay the DMV’s required fee (fees vary by state and county, but the fee is usually very affordable, or can even be free). Many opt to just get their driving record copy from the DMV because it’s much more thorough and you can be sure of the accuracy of the information on record.

Tip: Get multiple copies. If you are allowed extra copies, TAKE THEM. You may need them in the future. Depending on which route you take to get a copy of your driving record, you may get a hard copy, a mailed copy or an emailed copy (much easier to get copies of—just press “print” a few extra times!).

Next steps: Finding car insurance quotes for a cheaper policy

If your current carrier is charging you too much for your policy—perhaps due to some infractions on your driving record—then you may want to consider finding a different policy, ask various car insurance agents, they may be able to help. Perhaps another carrier can offer you more affordable car insurance quotes and policies for your driving record. Search for car insurance quotes online using our online forms and insurance agents will be in touch with you with their most affordable rates and car insurance quotes.

Published: Wednesday 15th July 2009