California K4 Driving Record: What It Shows and How to Request It

A California K4 driving record is the standard motor vehicle report issued by the California DMV, showing your convictions, accidents, and license actions going back three to ten years depending on the offense. You can request it online for $2, or get a certified copy by mail or in person for $5.¹

What the K4 Is

The K4 is California’s current name for the driving record the DMV releases to individuals and authorized requesters. You may still hear it called an “H6” or a “10-year record,” but that terminology is outdated. As of March 20, 2019, the DMV stopped providing the old H6 format, which included internal department data not meant for the public. The K4 replaced it and now contains only reportable information required by California Vehicle Code section 1808.²

Practically, that means internal DMV notes and codes no longer appear on the version you or an employer receives. What remains is your identifying information and your reportable driving history.

What Information Appears on a K4

Your K4 shows your name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and current license status. The rest is your driving history, and how far back it reaches depends on the severity of the offense.

Under California Vehicle Code section 1808, the reporting windows are:

Ten years for DUI-related convictions, including violations of Vehicle Code sections 23140, 23152, and 23153.³
Seven years for other two-point violations such as reckless driving, hit-and-run, or evading a peace officer.³
Three years for accidents and all other violations, including standard one-point infractions like speeding or running a red light.³

The record also shows license suspensions and revocations. Those stay visible while the action is in effect and for three years after your driving privilege is reinstated.³ If you completed traffic school to mask a point, that attendance is noted as well.

Points attached to each conviction will be shown. California assigns one or two points per violation depending on seriousness. Two-point entries include DUI, hit-and-run (both injury and property-damage-only), reckless driving, driving on a suspended or revoked license, evading a peace officer, and speed contest violations. Most other moving violations and at-fault accidents are one point.⁴ If you accumulate four points in 12 months, six in 24, or eight in 36, the DMV treats you as a negligent operator and will issue an order of probation with a six-month suspension that takes effect 34 days after the order is mailed.⁵

How to Request Your K4 Driving Record

The DMV offers three ways to get your record. The right one depends on whether you need an official certified copy or just want to look at your own history.

Online

The fastest and cheapest option is through the DMV website. The fee is $2, you need an online DMV account, and after paying you can view and print the record immediately.¹ The printout is not certified, so it works for personal review but may not satisfy employers or courts that require an official stamped document.

By Mail

For a certified copy, complete Form INF 1125 and mail it with a $5 check or money order to: Department of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 944247, Sacramento, CA 94244.¹ Expect several weeks for delivery. Include your full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number on the form.

In Person

You can also bring the completed INF 1125 and $5 fee to a local DMV office and receive a certified copy on the spot. That avoids the mail wait but means dealing with office wait times.

Why People Pull a K4

Employment Checks

Employers whose jobs involve driving almost always pull a K4 before hiring. This is standard for delivery drivers, trucking companies, rideshare platforms, and any position with a company vehicle. If a K4 leads an employer to reject you, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires them to send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of your rights, and then a second notice after the final decision.⁶ That gap gives you a window to dispute anything inaccurate before the door closes.

Commercial Driver Review

If you hold a CDL, your employer is required by federal regulation to review your driving record at least once every twelve months.⁷ Serious violations like excessive speeding (15 or more mph over the limit), reckless driving, or texting while operating a commercial vehicle can disqualify your CDL after a second offense within three years.⁸

Insurance and SR-22

Insurers use the K4 to set premiums. A DUI conviction can raise rates significantly and stays on the record for ten years. After certain serious violations or an uninsured accident, the DMV may also require you to file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility. If your license is suspended because you were uninsured during a reportable accident, the suspension lasts at least one year, and you must then keep proof of insurance on file with the DMV for three additional years.⁹

Personal Review and Court Use

Drivers also pull their own records to verify accuracy or catch signs of identity theft, like unfamiliar violations that could mean someone used their license information. A K4 may be required in traffic court, personal injury cases, or custody disputes where driving safety is at issue.

Correcting Errors on Your Record

Mistakes on K4 records happen more often than people expect, and an inaccurate conviction or accident can raise your insurance rates or cost you a job. California uses different forms depending on what’s wrong.

For an incorrect traffic violation or conviction, submit a Driver License Record Correction Request (Form DL 207) with certified court documents proving the error.¹⁰ For an accident error, use the Traffic Accident Record Correction Request (Form DL 208) instead.¹¹ You can mail either form to the DMV or bring it to a local office. Gather supporting documentation before you submit: court abstracts showing a dismissed charge, corrected police reports, or proof that a conviction was expunged. If the DMV denies your request, you can ask for a hearing and present your case directly.

Who Else Can See Your K4

Your driving record is not available to anyone who asks. The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act restricts who can obtain personal information from state motor vehicle records. Authorized requesters include government agencies and law enforcement, insurers conducting claims investigations or underwriting, employers verifying commercial driver qualifications, licensed private investigators, and parties involved in court proceedings or litigation.¹²

Businesses can access limited information to verify data you’ve already given them or to prevent fraud, but they can’t pull your record for marketing without your express consent.¹² If someone outside those categories obtains your record, they could face penalties under federal law.

1
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Start Driver’s Record Request
2
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Records and Types of Information
3
California Legislative Information. California Code VEH Division 2 Chapter 1 Article 3 Section 1808
4
California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 12810
5
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Negligent Operator Actions
6
GovInfo. Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681b
7
eCFR. 49 CFR 391.25 – Annual Inquiry and Review of Driving Record
8
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers
9
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Financial Responsibility (Insurance)
10
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Forms
11
California DMV. DL 208, Traffic Accident Record Correction Request
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records