You can order your California driving record online through a MyDMV account for $2, or request a certified copy by mail using Form INF 1125 for $5. The record shows your current license status, every reported traffic conviction, at-fault accidents on file, any suspensions or revocations, and your running point total under the DMV’s negligent operator system.
How to Request Your Record
Two options cover almost everyone: an online pull for personal use, or a mailed request when you need a certified copy.
Online Through MyDMV
The online request is the fastest route. Create or sign in to a MyDMV account, complete the identity verification step, and follow the prompts through the driver-history portal to payment. The record appears as a digital document you can view and print. The fee is $2.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. Request Your Driver’s Record
Online copies are unofficial. They work for checking your point balance, confirming a ticket was cleared, or reviewing what an insurer would see, but they aren’t stamped for court or employer submission.
Mail-In Request for a Certified Copy
If a court, an employer, or another agency requires a certified copy, submit Form INF 1125 by mail. The form asks for your full legal name, address, and driver’s license number. Send it with a $5 check or money order to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 944247, MS G199
Sacramento, CA 94244-24702California Department of Motor Vehicles. Request for Your Own Driver License/Identification Card or Vehicle/Vessel Registration Information Record
The same $5 applies at a DMV field office if you’d rather request it in person.3California Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration Fees
What the Record Shows
A California driving record pulls together your license status (valid, suspended, revoked, or expired), every reported traffic conviction, and any at-fault accident the DMV has on file. Departmental actions such as suspensions and revocations appear on the record, along with failure-to-appear notices from traffic court. Vehicle Code Section 1808 treats most of this information as public record, though the DMV restricts personal details like your home address under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.4California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 1808
How long a conviction stays visible depends on the offense. Most standard moving violations remain on the record for three years (36 months) from the violation date. More serious offenses stay longer. A DUI conviction, for example, remains on your DMV record for ten years from the date of arrest.5California Department of Motor Vehicles. Section 7 – Laws and Rules of the Road (Continued)
Points and the Negligent Operator System
Every traffic conviction adds points under Vehicle Code Section 12810. Most moving violations count as one point. Serious offenses count as two.
- One-point violations: speeding, running a red light, an at-fault accident, and child-restraint violations.
- Two-point violations: DUI, reckless driving, hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license, and evading a police officer.6California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 12810 – Violation Point Count
The DMV tracks the running total under the Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) and escalates its response in four levels:
- Level I, warning letter: 2 points within 12 months, 4 within 24 months, or 6 within 36 months.
- Level II, notice of intent to suspend: 3 points within 12 months, 5 within 24 months, or 7 within 36 months.
- Level III, probation and suspension: 4 points within 12 months, 6 within 24 months, or 8 within 36 months. The action is a one-year probation that includes a six-month suspension.
- Level IV, probation violation: any new violation or at-fault collision during NOTS probation or suspension adds another six-month suspension and extends probation by one year.7California Department of Motor Vehicles. Negligent Operator Actions
A third probation violation results in a full one-year revocation of your driving privilege.
Traffic School to Keep a Point Off Your Record
If you hold a noncommercial license and receive a one-point ticket, traffic school can keep that point from appearing on the public version of your record. The court still reports the conviction, but the DMV marks it confidential, so insurers and employers won’t see it. You can use this option once every 18 months. It doesn’t apply to alcohol- or drug-related offenses or to equipment violations.8California Courts. Traffic School
Fixing Errors on Your Record
If your record shows a conviction you didn’t receive, an accident you weren’t involved in, or incorrect personal information, the DMV has a formal dispute process. Complete a Report of Incorrect Record (Form DL 207) for general errors, or a DL 207A specifically for traffic-collision errors. You can also submit an Abstract/Document Error Form (DL 157) with court correspondence proving the error. All three forms are on the DMV website.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. Request Your Driver’s Record
Pull your record after any court appearance where a charge was reduced or dismissed, because a phantom point can push you into a NOTS level you weren’t expecting.
Who Else Can See Your Record
The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act limits release of personal information from motor vehicle records, with a long list of permitted uses. Government agencies and law enforcement have full access. Insurers can pull records for claims investigation, underwriting, and fraud prevention. Licensed private investigators, courts, and parties in litigation qualify. Employers can obtain or verify a driver’s information in connection with employment. What the DPPA blocks is bulk release to marketers without your express consent, and casual access by individuals who don’t fit a permitted category.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records
If you drive for work, expect ongoing monitoring rather than a one-time check. Under Vehicle Code Section 1808.1, employers who hire people to drive as part of their job must enroll those drivers in the Employer Pull Notice (EPN) program. The DMV then sends the employer an updated record every year and pushes immediate alerts whenever a conviction, accident, suspension, or failure-to-appear is added to the file. Effective April 1, 2026, new regulations require EPN employers to submit all documents, request records, and pay invoices electronically.10California Department of Motor Vehicles. Employer Pull Notice Program