How to Fill Out a California DMV INF Form: INF 70 Record Request

To fill out a California DMV INF form, pick the right version for your situation — INF 70 to request another person’s driving or vehicle record by mail, or INF 1125 to get a certified copy of your own record by mail — then complete the identifying fields, check the permissible use that applies, sign under penalty of perjury, and mail the form with the correct fee and a copy of your photo ID. If you only need your own standard driving record, you can skip the paper form entirely and pull it online for $2.1California DMV. Request Your Driver’s Record

Which INF Form You Need

California uses different forms depending on whose record you want and how you want it delivered.

Use Form INF 70 when you’re requesting someone else’s driving record or vehicle record by mail. This is the form governed by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act restrictions, and it requires you to declare a permissible use.

Use Form INF 1125 when you want your own driving record as a certified copy sent by mail. Because you’re the subject of the record, the third-party access rules don’t apply in the same way — you’re entitled to your own file.

Skip the paper form entirely if you only need your own uncertified driving record. The DMV’s online portal delivers it on-screen for $2, and you get one chance to print it, so have your printer ready before you pay. Credit and debit card payments carry an added 1.95% processing fee; paying directly from a bank account avoids that surcharge.1California DMV. Request Your Driver’s Record

Filling Out Form INF 70

The form is short, but every field matters. A missing box or a wrong number is the most common reason California sends a request back unprocessed.

Your Information

Enter your full legal name, current mailing address, and daytime contact information. This is where the record will be sent, and this is the identity tied to the signature at the bottom of the form. If you’re requesting on behalf of a business — an insurance company, a law firm, an employer — include the business name and your title.

Identifying the Record You Want

For a driving record, provide the subject’s full legal name and driver’s license number. A date of birth helps the DMV distinguish between people with similar names.

For a vehicle record, the Vehicle Identification Number or the California license plate number is the primary identifier. Include both if you have them.

Check the box for the specific record type you’re requesting. Options include driving records, vehicle registration information, and title information. If you’re not sure which record type answers your question, call the DMV before mailing — the form will be processed exactly as you filled it out, and a mismatch means starting over.

Declaring Your Permissible Use

This is the section where third-party requests succeed or fail. The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, at 18 U.S.C. § 2721, prohibits state DMVs from releasing personal information from motor vehicle records unless the requester qualifies under one of fourteen permissible uses.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records INF 70 lists these uses as a checklist, and you must select the one that actually applies to your request.

The categories most commonly checked:

  • Government agency, court, or law enforcement carrying out official duties.
  • Attorneys, parties, or process servers working in connection with a civil, criminal, or administrative case.
  • Insurers and their agents handling claims, antifraud work, rating, or underwriting.
  • A legitimate business verifying information a person submitted to it, but only to prevent fraud, pursue legal remedies, or recover a debt.
  • Employers or their insurers verifying a commercial driver’s qualifications.
  • Licensed private investigators or security services acting within another permissible category.
  • Manufacturers, dealers, or researchers working on vehicle safety, theft prevention, emissions, or recalls.
  • Towing companies giving notice to owners of towed or impounded vehicles.

Pick the box that describes your actual reason. Checking a use that doesn’t fit your situation to unlock records you aren’t entitled to is exactly the conduct the DPPA’s penalty provisions target.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records

Be aware that certain data — photographs, Social Security numbers, and medical or disability information — is treated as “highly restricted personal information” under the statute and is available only for a narrower set of uses (government functions, legal proceedings, insurance activities, and vehicle safety matters), or with the subject’s express written consent.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2725 – Definitions

Signing the Form

Sign and date the form. Your signature certifies that the information you provided is accurate and that your intended use of the record is lawful. Unsigned forms are rejected on sight.

If you’re requesting records for someone else who has authorized you to do so, include their signed written authorization with the submission.

Supporting Documents to Include

Along with the completed form, put the following in the envelope:

  • A photocopy of your government-issued photo ID. Keep the copy legible — a dark or cropped scan is a common cause of processing delays.
  • Your payment (see below).
  • Proof of professional authority if the permissible use you checked requires it — a bar card for attorneys, a business license for licensed investigators, or a letter on company letterhead for insurance and employer requests.
  • A signed authorization from the record subject, if you’re acting on their behalf.

Fees and Payment

California charges $5 per record for mail requests submitted on INF 70.1California DMV. Request Your Driver’s Record Include a check or money order made payable to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the exact amount. If you’re requesting multiple records, multiply the fee accordingly and confirm the total on the current version of the form before mailing — form fees are periodically updated.

Cash sent by mail is not accepted. Personal checks that don’t clear will hold up the request the same way missing information does.

Where to Send It

Mail the completed form, ID copy, and payment to the address printed on the current version of INF 70. Use a trackable shipping method: you’re sending personal identification and financial instruments together in one envelope.

If you’d rather hand the form to a person who can review it for completeness before accepting it, take it to a local DMV field office. Staff can flag a missing signature, an unchecked permissible-use box, or a legibility problem with your ID copy before the form enters the processing queue. Simple requests may be handled on the spot; searches involving older records or multiple vehicles typically take longer.

What to Do if Your Request Stalls

If you haven’t received the record within the timeframe the DMV quoted when you submitted the form, contact them with any confirmation or receipt information you have. Stalled requests are almost always caused by paperwork problems — an incomplete field, an unreadable ID photocopy, or a payment that didn’t clear — rather than by the records search itself.

Penalties for a False Statement

The signature at the bottom of INF 70 binds you to real consequences if you falsify the form or misuse the record. Knowingly obtaining or disclosing motor vehicle information in violation of the DPPA carries criminal fines under Title 18 of the U.S. Code.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2723 – Penalties Under the general federal fine statute, fines can reach $100,000 for an individual and $200,000 for an organization depending on the offense.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3571 – Sentence of Fine

The DPPA also creates a private right of action. A person whose records were improperly accessed can sue in federal court and recover actual damages with a floor of $2,500 in liquidated damages per violation, plus punitive damages for willful or reckless conduct, and reasonable attorney’s fees.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2724 – Civil Action Class action suits under the statute have produced multimillion-dollar settlements. When you check a box on INF 70, check the one that actually describes your reason for asking.