How to Complete SCDMV Form MV-70: Permissible Use, Fees, and Penalties

SCDMV Form MV-70, the Request for Driver Information, is the paper form you mail to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a driving record, copies of ticket or suspension notices, or other driver-related documents. You fill out all three parts, attach a check or money order for the fee, and send it to the SCDMV’s processing office in Blythewood. The form is the standard route when you need someone else’s record, when an organization needs paper documentation, or when you simply prefer to request by mail rather than online.¹

One boundary worth clearing up first: MV-70 has nothing to do with titling or registering a vehicle. If that is what you need, you are looking for a different form.²

What You Can Request and What It Costs

The form covers three categories of documents: a motor vehicle report showing convictions and points, copies of specific ticket or suspension notices the SCDMV sent to the driver, and other related documents on file.³ Driving records come in different scopes — a three-year record, a ten-year record, or a full report.¹

The SCDMV charges $10 for a driving record.⁴ Copies of tickets, suspension notices, and other documents carry their own fees. Include a separate payment for each document, and if you are requesting records for more than one person, the fee applies per driver.

Who Can Legally Request Another Driver’s Record

Your own record is straightforward. No justification needed.

Requesting someone else’s record is governed by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, which limits access to a defined list of permissible uses.⁵ You will check one of these on the form. The uses most people rely on when filing MV-70 are:

A government agency, or someone acting on its behalf, carrying out its functions.
A business verifying information the person submitted, for fraud prevention, legal remedies, or debt recovery.
Use in civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings, including service of process and pre-litigation investigation.
Insurance claims, antifraud work, rating, or underwriting.
Research or statistical purposes, provided the information will not be published or used to contact the individual.
Licensed private investigators or security services for any otherwise permitted purpose.
Employers or their agents verifying information about a commercial driver’s license holder.
Written consent from the driver.

If you are relying on the driver’s consent, the driver must sign the consent section inside Part 2.³

Filling Out the Three Parts of the Form

Download the form from the SCDMV website or pick up a copy at a branch. The form must be completed in full. Partial submissions will not be processed.³

Part 1: Permissible Use and Certification

Check the box for the DPPA use that matches your reason for the request. Print the name and address of the person or business making the request, print the name of the person who will receive the information, and sign and date the form. Your signature sits under a declaration, made under penalty of perjury, that you are entitled to receive the information under the DPPA.

Part 2: Single Driver Request

Use Part 2 when you are asking about one person. Enter the driver’s name, date of birth, and driver’s license, beginner’s permit, or ID number if you have it. Specify what you want: a driving record, copies of tickets or suspension notices, or other documents. If you checked the consent box in Part 1, the driver signs the consent section here.

Part 3: Multiple Requests

Employers, insurers, and other organizations pulling records for several drivers at once use Part 3. List each driver’s name, license or ID number, and date of birth. The certification you signed in Part 1 covers every name on the list. Research or statistical requests should include a cover letter describing the project and confirming the information will not be published or used to contact anyone.

Payment and Where to Send It

Pay by check or money order made payable to “SC Department of Motor Vehicles.” Cash is not accepted for mailed transactions.⁴ Confirm the amount before you seal the envelope; a missing or wrong payment is the most common reason a request gets returned.

Mail the completed form and payment to:

Alternative Media
PO Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0035³

Provide as much identifying information as you can. If you don’t have the driver’s license number, include full legal name, date of birth, and any prior names to help the office match the record.¹

When You Don’t Need MV-70

For your own record, the SCDMV’s online portal sells three-year and ten-year records without any paper form, and a current points balance is available online at no cost.¹ The online option only works for your own information. You cannot pull anyone else’s driving history through the portal.

You can also request a record at an SCDMV branch counter, which avoids mailing time. MV-70 is built for mail-in requests, so if you need something quickly and a branch is reachable, in person is usually faster.

Penalties for a False Certification

The DPPA treats misuse of driver records seriously. A person who knowingly obtains or uses information from a motor vehicle record for an unauthorized purpose is subject to a federal criminal fine.⁶

The person whose information was misused can also sue in federal district court. The court can award actual damages with a liquidated-damages floor of $2,500, punitive damages for willful or reckless violations, and reasonable attorney’s fees.⁷ The form itself references a $5,000 minimum, but the current statute sets the liquidated-damages floor at $2,500. Before you sign the certification, make sure your reason genuinely fits one of the DPPA’s permissible uses.

1
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Get My Driving Record
2
SCDMV. Titles
3
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Request for Driver Information – SCDMV Form MV-70
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Fees
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records
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U.S. Government Publishing Office. 18 USC Chapter 123 – 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 USC 2724 – Civil Action