Delaware DMV Driving Record: Contents, Ordering, and Points

A Delaware driving record is the file the Division of Motor Vehicles keeps on you, listing your license status, moving-violation convictions, and any suspensions or revocations. You can buy a copy in three lengths — 3-year, 5-year, or full history — and all three cost $25 whether you order online, in person, or by mail.

What’s on It

The top of the record carries your identifying information: full name, date of birth, license number, license class, and any endorsements or restrictions. Below that sits your conviction history. Each moving violation shows the offense date, the specific statute you were convicted under, the penalty, and the point value Delaware assigns to it. Speeding, reckless driving, and signal violations all appear here.

The record also documents every license suspension, revocation, or disqualification, with the reason and duration. Completion of a defensive driving course or a mandatory behavior modification course shows up too. DUI convictions stay on the record for at least five years.¹

One thing that surprises drivers: civil traffic offenses are not on the record. Under Delaware law, no finding of responsibility for a civil traffic violation gets forwarded to the DMV.² Only criminal traffic convictions appear. A parking ticket or a civil red-light camera violation won’t show up; a criminal speeding conviction will.

How to Order a Copy

All three record lengths cost $25.³ The channel you use controls how fast you get it and whether it can be notarized.

Online

The DMV’s online portal is the fastest option. You verify your identity, pay the $25, and receive a certified copy of your 3-year, 5-year, or full history instantly.⁴ Online orders cannot be notarized. If a court or employer specifically requires a notarized copy, skip this channel.

In Person

Any Delaware DMV office can sell you a copy. Bring a government-issued photo ID.³ This is the only channel that produces a notarized copy.

By Mail

Mail is slower and has an extra step people miss. Complete the DMV’s Personal Information Release Form and have it notarized with a seal or stamp before mailing. Without notarization and without an in-person appearance, the DMV will not process the request. Send the notarized form, a $25 check or money order, and a stamped self-addressed return envelope to:

Division of Motor Vehicles, ATTN: Driver License Administration, P.O. Box 698, Dover, DE 19903.³

Which Length

Since the price is flat, the choice is about scope. A 3-year record usually satisfies insurance quotes and routine employment screens. Courts, defense attorneys, and matters involving prior DUIs typically call for the full history. When you aren’t sure, order the full record. Nothing about the shorter versions is cheaper or faster.

How Points Work

Delaware assigns points to moving-violation convictions and totals them over a rolling 24-month window. Common values from the Driver Improvement Problem Driver Program include 2 points for speeding 1–9 mph over the limit, 3 points for 10–14 mph over, 4 points for 15–19 mph over, 5 points for aggressive driving or 20+ mph over, and 6 points for reckless driving.⁵

At 8 points, the DMV sends an advisory letter. At 12 points, you must complete an approved behavior modification or attitudinal driving course within 90 days, or accept a mandatory two-month suspension in its place. At 14 points, the suspension is mandatory and runs four months, with each additional two points adding another two months up through 22 points and a twelve-month suspension.⁵ Reinstating a suspended license costs $50 on top of serving the full suspension term.⁶

Points don’t disappear all at once. Each violation counts at full value for 12 months from the offense date, then drops to half value for the next 12 months, then falls out of the calculation entirely at 24 months.⁷ A 4-point ticket from January 2025 counts as 4 through January 2026, as 2 through January 2027, and as zero after that. The conviction stays visible on the record even after the points expire.

Completing a DMV-approved Defensive Driving Course knocks 3 points off, effective the date you finish the course. You pay for the course yourself. The credit will not be applied retroactively once a point-threshold action such as a suspension is already in effect, so if you are near 14 points, don’t wait for the notice to enroll. Delaware also skips point assessment on a first minor speeding conviction (1–14 mph over the limit) within any three-year period, provided you pay the fine through the Voluntary Assessment Center or Alderman’s Court.⁵

Fixing Errors

Wrong entries do appear on driving records, and an incorrect conviction or phantom suspension can cost you money on insurance or a job offer. If you spot one, contact the DMV’s Driver Services department in writing with documentation of the discrepancy: court records showing a conviction was overturned, proof of fine payment, or a corrected disposition. For a reduced or dismissed conviction, the DMV needs an official court order before it will amend the record.

DUI-related administrative hearing requests go through a dedicated DMV portal.⁸ For other disputes, call the DMV at (302) 744-2508 for the current procedure. Insurers pull driving records regularly, so an uncorrected mistake can follow you for years.

Who Else Can See It

The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act governs who can obtain your record. Your driving history, convictions, and license status are treated as public; personal details such as home address, Social Security number, and photograph get more protection. The DPPA authorizes disclosure to specific categories:⁹

Government agencies and law enforcement, for official functions.
Insurers, for claims investigations, underwriting, and fraud prevention.
Employers verifying CDL information as required by federal law. For non-CDL positions, an employer using a third-party consumer reporting agency must give you clear written disclosure and get your written authorization first.
Courts, for civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings, including process service and litigation prep.
Licensed investigators and security services, for any DPPA-permitted purpose.
Researchers, for statistical work that does not identify individuals.

Anyone who obtains or uses your record for a purpose the DPPA does not authorize can be sued in federal court. Courts can award at least $2,500 in liquidated damages per violation, plus punitive damages for willful or reckless conduct, plus attorney’s fees.¹⁰

Can You Expunge a Traffic Conviction

Mostly, no. Delaware’s court-based expungement process addresses criminal records, not the driving record the DMV maintains.¹¹ If a traffic offense was charged criminally and then dismissed or you were acquitted, you may be able to petition the Superior Court to expunge the criminal record. If the petition is granted, the DMV would update your driving record to match the changed disposition.

A properly adjudicated traffic conviction has no DMV expungement path. Time is the practical remedy: once a conviction ages past the 24-month window, it stops counting toward point-based penalties even though it stays visible on the record. If a requester only needs a limited history, ordering the 3-year record instead of the full history narrows what they see. DUI convictions, which remain for at least five years, have no shortcut.¹ If a conviction on your record shouldn’t be there because it was overturned or reduced, that is a correction, not an expungement. Get the court order first, then take it to the DMV.

1
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. DUI, Points and Hearings FAQs
2
Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 21 Chapter 8
3
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Requesting a Copy of Your Driving Record
4
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Purchase Delaware Driving Record
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Delaware Regulations. Delaware Administrative Code Title 2 Section 2208 – Driver Improvement Problem Driver Program
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Justia Law. Delaware Code Title 21 Section 2737 – Fee for Return of Suspended License
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Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Drivers License – Violations
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Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Administrative Hearing Request
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2724 – Civil Action and Criminal Penalty
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Delaware Courts. Expungement or Pardon of Criminal Record