What Is Included in California Public Driving Records?

Every reported driving error ends up on a driving record.

Driving records are designed to provide an array of information about a licensed driver, and California's version is no exception. The record printout provides an assortment of data, including the predictable driving history of the subject.

Length of Time Period Covered

Driving records provided both to drivers and as a public record can easily cover more than 10 years of data. Many times a driver will have a perfectly acceptable record for the last five years, but a speeding ticket or traffic violation will still show from when she was a teenager and just learning to drive.

Data Provided

The record fields shown on a driving record are coded with specific acronyms. For California, these can be interpreted on the California Department of Motor Vehicle's website. General identification information printed includes the driver's license number, birthday, home address, and specific physical features such as eye color and weight. Technical data includes the date the last license was issued and when it will expire, any traffic violations and when they occurred, any vehicle licenses of cars owned, and any court hearings and case file identifications.

Obtaining a Copy

A driving record printout is available at any California DMV office for a driver. Making an appointment can be faster, but a person can also visit unannounced (be warned some stations can take up to four hours). A requesting party must show identification before any printout request can be processed. A fee also needs to be paid which, in 2010, totaled $5 per record printout.

Alternatively a requester can send in a mail request by completing from INF 1125, inserting a check payment of $5, providing identification information and mailing it to:

California DMV's Public Operations Unit G199

P.O. Box 944247

Sacramento, CA 94244-2470

Uses

Employing parties and investigating agencies frequently use driving records to identify a person, get a glimpse of their driving history, and to pull any useful identification information about a person. Driving records are public records, so they are not just limited to the named driver in terms of access.

Caveat

Everyone should take a peek at their driving record printout every few years. Many times this is the same data that insurance companies are using to determine what to charge people for car insurance. It is also frequently used for hiring information as well. You should know what information is available about you, just like with credit reports and employment information.

References

• California DMV: Fast Facts on DMV Public Record Request
• Taxi-Library: How to Read a Driver License Print-out
• California DMV: General Information

Resources

• The Unofficial DMV: Driving Records in All States