How to Check Your Driving Record Online

Checking Your Record on a State Website

Find your state's department of licensing web page. With the help of any search engine, this page should be easy to find. Just search the name of your state (e.g. "Washington") and "department of licensing." Different states have different names for the institution that handles driver and vehicle licenses. For example, in the state of Washington, it is called the Department of Licensing. In Ohio, this institution is called the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. In Pennsylvania, licensing is handled by the Department of Transportation. Consequently, you may need to try a couple of different searches to find the page you are looking for.

Check that you have the right site. When you think you've found the right page, make sure it actually belongs to the appropriate state agency. In most cases, it should end in “.gov,” not “.com,” “.org,” “.biz,” or any other designation. A “.gov” website is an official government webpage, so if the page doesn't end in .gov, there is a good chance this page is not actually connect with your state's department of licensing. For a few states, the page will end in .state.xx.us, with the "xx" standing in for an abbreviation of the state.

Confirm that the website offers driving records. Each state's department of licensing offers slightly different services. Today, most provide driving records through their website, but others might require you to visit their offices, call them on the phone, or request this information by mail. Florida, for example, does not have an online driving record service. Instead, you must purchase a copy of your record online from a private vendor. Conversely, Alabama requires that you go to a DMV office to get records. Additionally, you typically cannot receive a “certified” copy of your driving record online but instead must go into the DMV office.

Find the link. Once on the homepage, you will still need to hunt around a bit to find a link to access your driving records. Every state's page is different, so where this information might be located will vary. For example, the Ohio webpage includes a link on the homepage under "general information" called "Copy of Driving Record (Abstract)" that will take you to a page with information about how to access your records. In Washington, this information is found under the "Drivers" tab but is not immediately apparent from the homepage. Many states' websites have a search function. It is typically located near the top of the page and often in the top right corner. Enter "driving record" or "driver's history" in this search box and press enter.

Enter identifying information. Once you've accessed the part of the website where your state offers driver's history services, you'll need to provide some information about yourself. Most commonly, you will be asked for your name, driver's license number, and some or all of the digits of your social security number. Some states will require you to create an account in their system with a username and password. If you think you will need to revisit the page again, pick a username and password that you will remember, or write them down.

Pay the fee. Most states require you to a pay a fee to access records through their system. For example, in Washington, the fee is $13. Typically this fee is non-refundable. In some states, the amount of the fee varies depending on what format you want your records in. For example, in Ohio, you can view an "unofficial" record on a website for no charge, have the information mailed to you for a small fee, or request an official, certified copy at a slightly higher cost.

Checking Your Record Using DMV.org

Visit the website. DMV.org is a popular website that allows you to access driving records from most states. Go to the driving record page of DMV.org, here. This website is not affiliated with any state's department of licensing, but is instead an independent, privately-owned company. The site’s primary advantage is convenience. You can access the information quickly and easily in a clear, understandable format. The drawback is that it typically costs a little more than getting your records directly from the state. The driving record from DMV.org is not an official record, so if you need a certified record, you must go through your state DMV (usually by going directly to a DMV office).

Choose your state. Drag your mouse over your state on the map and click on it to select the state in which you live. You can also make your selection via a drop-down menu in the top right corner and a list of states you can click on at the bottom of the page. Not every state's driving records are available through this website. In particular, the northeastern part of the United States is largely excluded. In such cases, DMV.org provides links to those states' official services.

Enter your personal information. On the next page, enter your name, address, and driver's license number. If you have not lived at your current address for at least two years, click the appropriate box, and enter your previous address. If you are ever confused or need assistance, then you can click on “Contact DMV.org” toward the bottom of the page. This link will take you to a page where you can ask a question.

Review the fees. Make sure the information looks correct and decide whether you want a copy of the report emailed to you. There is an additional fee for this service, which provides your driving history in a format that you can retain with your electronic records.

Review the policies. After advancing to the next screen, you will need to review and agree to the privacy policies before your records can be provided. Provide your email address as needed, and advance to the payment screen to finalize your purchase.

Checking Employees' Driving Records

Learn the law. The Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 outlines the rights of both employers and employees with respect to accessing driving records. Among other aspects, this law forbids any state's Department of Licensing from providing personal identifying information about any driver without their consent. State statutes may govern these practices where you operate your business. It's a good idea to find out before requesting any records. This information should be available from the website of your state's government.

Get consent. Getting consent will shield you from potential legal liability if an employee ever tries to sue you for violating their privacy.Documentation may be required to actually obtain the records, and written consent is a stronger legal safeguard than oral consent. An easy way to do this is to simply specify on the application that allowing you to check potential employees' driving records is a condition of employment. You can also use a driving record release form. The form should include information like the following: “I understand that driving a company vehicle (or my own vehicle) is required for this position. Furthermore, I acknowledge that having and maintaining a satisfactory driving record is a condition of employment and will remain one. Therefore, I agree to allow [insert company name] to check my driving record, both before making a hiring decision and periodically thereafter. I understand the company will use this information for employment purposes and will not furnish the information to third parties without my prior written consent. Furthermore, I agree to release [insert company name] and its employees and agents from any liability for damage which may result from furnishing the requested information.” Then include a signature block for the employee to print name and date of birth, driver’s license number, and signature and date.

Collect employees' personal information. Just as is the case for viewing your own driving records, you'll need to know your employees' full name, driver’s license number, and possibly a variety of other information including their social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, etc. Again, using the job application to collect this information is an efficient way to make sure you have all the information you need.

Request employees' records. You can request employees' driving records through your state, as described in Method 1, above. However, this may be a slow process, especially if you need a large number of records. If time is an issue, you may wish to use a private company to obtain the records you need. DMV.org suggests using drivingrecords.com to check employees' records, but there are many other services available, too. For example, http://www.drivingrecord.net/ specializes in driving record services for businesses. If you are running a business that conducts 7 or fewer driving record checks per month, this site will allow you same-day access to the information you need for employment screening purposes. Yet another site that allows you to check both your own records and those of your employees is http://www.4safedrivers.com/. This site also provides information about additional documents required by some states to access the records of others. That information is available here.