The California driving record is designed for all state residents with a driver’s license. Stay up to date on what is reported on your personal drivers record. Learn about the type of information your CA DMV driving record contains by reviewing the sections below.

What is on my California driving record?

Depending on the type of driving record and where you purchase it, your California driving record may provide either a partial or complete outline of your personal CA driving history. If you order your driving record directly from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, it will contain:

• Where and when a drivers license was issued.
• Previous traffic violations.
• California DUI reports.
• California driver’s license suspensions or revocations.
• Car accidents.
• Other major violations on record.

What do points on my California driving record mean?

Points found on your California Department of Motor Vehicles driving record include any driving infractions you have committed within or outside of the state. Each infraction has a different point value, and when they add up to a certain amount, your license may be revoked or suspended.

Infractions and point values that can be found on a driving record from the California DMV include:

• Disobedience to traffic officer: 1 point
• Disregarding non-student crossing guard: 1 point
• Crossing safety flares/cones: 1 point
• Violation of license restrictions: 1 point
• Evading officer/reckless driving: 2 points
• Driving while suspended/revoked: 2 points
• Driving, suspended/revoked for refusing test: 2 points
• Hit and run/injury/property damage: 2 points

If you have any incorrect points on your driving history report, fix them by contacting your local DMV. Taking a traffic school course can remove points off your record.

How do points against my California license affect me?

In California, a driver’s license may be suspended or revoked for accumulating too many points in a certain time period:

• Four points in 12 months
• Six points in 24 months
• Eight points in 36 months

Points on your CA driving record from the Department of Motor Vehicles can also cause your insurance rates to spike, especially if you committed point violations that resulted in car crashes. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a job as a commercial vehicle driver, points on your driving history report may cause employers to look elsewhere.

Did you know? Your personal driving history is a public record. Potential employers, insurance providers, and courts of law can all request a copy of your driving history.

How do I remove drivers license points from my California record?

Points are added to your California drivers license record from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles when you receive a traffic citation or commit a major driving violation. If you accumulate too many drivers license points, your auto insurance rates can spike and possible employment opportunities may be affected.

The California DMV does not allow points to be removed once they have been listed on your drivers history report. Instead, some drivers are eligible to attend traffic school to prevent points from being added to their license. If you are eligible, you will be notified by mail or at the time of conviction in court.

How long do points stay on my California driving record?

Over time, individual driver history records can be cleared of California drivers license points depending on the type of violation:

• A traffic violation that added one point is removed after 39 months.
• DUI points or hit-and-run-related demerits take 13 years to be removed from a driver’s record.
• A failure to appear in court remains on record for five years.
• A failure to appear in court for a DUI remains on record for 13 years.

Different violations and infractions in California carry different penalties. Whatever the point value of a citation may be, if it ends up on your license, it will remain there for the same length of time.

California DUI Records

DUI criminal records are included in your California driving history report from the Department of Motor Vehicles. You may need to provide your DUI arrest record in order to attend traffic school or to check that an older incident has been removed from your records.

How do I know if my California driving license is suspended?

You can check your drivers license status in California by obtaining a copy of your DMV driving record. Duration and reasons for a drivers license suspension will also be included in your California driving report.

Previous Traffic Violations in California

California drivers can check for previous traffic violations on their DMV driving history. Speeding, running red lights, or not using your turn signal are some of the violations included in this report.

On your personal driving history report, seeing what infractions are still on your record will help you manage traffic tickets you may have not paid. When ordering a report from DMV.com, you will be able to see any moving violation convictions.

Why do I need a copy of my California driving record?

Ordering a copy of your California driving record will provide you with information about your driving infractions. By obtaining a CA DMV driving record, you will be prepared for several different scenarios such as applying for a job as a commercial driver and improving your auto insurance rates.

Check for Points in California

Requesting a copy of driving records is most often done to check for points on a drivers license. Any violation you have been convicted of that carried points as part of the penalty will be on your driving record from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. By obtaining a copy of your driving record, you can determine how close you are to a driver’s license suspension.

Applying for a New Commercial Driver Position in California

Employment opportunities for positions, which involve driving a vehicle, are dependent on your personal driving history. Employers can base their entire hiring decision on what is in your record to ensure the safety of their business and the public.

Ordering driving records gives you the chance to see if there are any items that might hinder your job opportunities. Get a copy of your driving record in advance to have time to fix any mistakes that might be stated on your report.

Lower California Auto Insurance Premiums

Insurance companies determine their premiums by using a variety of measurements including your age, location and your driving history. The more accidents and violations you have on your California driving record, the more of a risk it is to insure you.

As a result, you will have to pay more costly car insurance for bad driving record information. By obtaining a copy of your driving record before checking car coverage quotes, you have the opportunity to clean your driving record of any possible mistakes and receive the best auto insurance quotes possible.

Take California Traffic School to Prevent Points

Attending traffic school in California has a few benefits. The first is that your auto insurance cannot be cancelled and your premiums cannot be raised.

Secondly, completion of a state-approved traffic school course will prevent points from being added to your driving history. To do so, you must submit a certificate of completion to the clerk of court in the jurisdiction where your citation occurred.

Why do employers check your California driving record?

Most employers today perform background checks on prospective employees which in most cases includes checking California driving history reports. Major violations like DUI arrest records or hit-and-runs will show up on a criminal background check, and can also be found on your DMV driving history.

Any employment opportunity, which requires you to operate a vehicle, will look into your California drivers license status and history. Any suspensions or revocations that appear on your CA driving record may affect your employment status. By obtaining a copy of your driving history report, you can try and rectify any mistakes ahead of time.

Different Types of Driving Records

There are four different types of California driving records that the Department of Motor Vehicles offers. Each of these personal CA driving record reports depends on how far back in your driving history you would like to go.

DMV.com driving records are for employment purposes and personal information only. They are not certified so they cannot be used in court or to obtain your license in another state.

The content and length of the report is determined by the state and not DMV.com. The record you receive will be the public record for employment purposes as determined by your state on the date of the order.

3-Year Driving Record

The shortest report available through the California Department of Motor Vehicles is the 3-year driving record. Your CA DMV 3-year driving record will include all information from the last three years. A driving report can be used to determine how many points you have on your license, as most demerits will be expunged in that time.

7-Year Driving Record

A CA DMV 7 year driving record will include all incidents and infractions over the last seven years.

10-Year Driving Record

A 10-year driving record goes more in depth as it covers all the driver information over the past ten years. Individuals involved in civil suits or employers vetting potential candidates may order a 10-year driving record.

Complete Driving Record

DMV complete driving records will have all of the information available from when you first received your California driver’s license through the present. Full driving records will even include data available from other states if applicable.

How do I fix a mistake on my California drivers history report?

If you find a mistake on your CA driving record, you can fill out a Record Correction Request form and mail it to the Mandatory Actions Unit of the California Department of Motor Vehicles:

California Department of Motor Vehicles
Mandatory Actions Unit, M/S J-233
P.O. Box 942890
Sacramento, CA 94290

Within four to six weeks, you will receive a notice stating that your driving record is updated. Driving record expungement may be the difference between employment or unemployment, avoiding car insurance for bad driving records, and even if you have a license at all. Order your complete driving record today.

What is not included on my driving record report?

Although your California drivers history contains an abundance of useful and important information, it does not include certain information that you might find useful. DMV.com has set up resources to allow you to obtain the following information for your records:

• Background check
• VIN Check
• Police record report

Vehicle Registration History

California drivers will get a vehicle registration history as part of their driving record. All of the vehicles you have registered in the state will show up in this section of the report. Certain situations require you to show proof of an older registration and obtaining your driving history will give you that proof.

Driving Record Fees in California

The fee for a printout of a drivers license record is $2.00. A certified copy is $5.00.

California Privacy R. Request

California Opt-Out