Minnesota Form PS2502 is the paper record request form used to get a driving history or vehicle ownership record from the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). Download it from the DVS website, complete the sections that apply to what you’re asking for, sign it, and submit it with payment either by mail to the DVS Records Unit at 445 Minnesota St., Suite 161, St. Paul, MN 55101-5161, or in person at a full-service deputy registrar office.1Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Driving Record Request Procedure If the only record you need is your own driving history, you can skip the form and use a MyDVS account at drive.mn.gov instead.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Check Your Driving Record With Our New Online Tool
What to Gather Before You Start
Wrong or missing identifiers are the fastest way to get a request bounced back. Pull these together first.
For a driving record, you need the subject’s full legal name, date of birth, and Minnesota driver’s license or ID number. For a vehicle record, you need the year and make, the Minnesota license plate number, and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
You also need your own contact information and a mailing address where DVS can send the results. If you’re mailing the form, DVS requires either a legible photocopy of your driver’s license or government-issued ID, or a notarized signature on the form itself.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502 Forgetting the ID copy is one of the most common reasons a mailed request comes back unprocessed.
Filling Out PS2502 Section by Section
The form has four sections labeled A through D. Complete only the sections that match what you’re requesting.
Section A: Driving Record Request
Enter the driver’s full name, date of birth, and Minnesota DL/ID number, then pick the record type:
- Non-certified copy: a five-year history showing convictions only. This is the cheapest option and works for informal purposes like checking your own record before a job application.
- Certified copy: a complete record carrying official weight, used for court proceedings, insurance disputes, or anything requiring an authenticated document.
- Certified copy with license issuance date letter: the same certified record plus a letter confirming when the license was originally issued. Some employers and insurers ask for this to verify how long someone has held a license.
Section B: Motor Vehicle Record Request
Fill in the vehicle year and make, the Minnesota license plate number, and the VIN. Title history reports cost $1.00 per printed page on top of the base fee, so a vehicle that has changed hands several times costs more than one with a single owner.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502
Section C: Your Information and Signature
Print your name, daytime phone number, email address, and mailing address, then sign and date the form. An unsigned form will be rejected. DVS treats the signature as your legal certification that the request is for a permissible purpose.
Section D: Permissible Use
This is the section that trips people up. You must select and initial one of the numbered categories that explains why you’re entitled to the records. The form lists 11 options corresponding to the permissible uses in the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. If you’re requesting your own record, choose the option for the subject of the data or the consent-based option. Picking a category that doesn’t actually apply can get the request rejected and, in serious cases, expose you to penalties under the DPPA.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502
When You Can Request Someone Else’s Record
Access to Minnesota driver and vehicle data is restricted by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2721–2725) and Minnesota Statutes chapters 171.12 and 168.346.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502 You can always request your own records. To get someone else’s, you need either their written consent or a qualifying reason under federal law.
The categories that come up most often on PS2502 include government functions carried out by federal, state, or local employees or their agents; use in civil, criminal, or administrative litigation, including pre-suit investigation and service of process; insurance claims investigation, antifraud work, rating, and underwriting; employer verification of commercial driver’s license information required under federal law; motor vehicle safety, theft, emissions, recall, and market research uses; and legitimate business verification of information a person already provided, but only to prevent fraud, pursue legal remedies, or recover a debt.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records Licensed private investigators and security services can access records for any purpose otherwise permissible under the DPPA. Minnesota’s commissioner can also disclose personal information for requests related to motor vehicle operation or public safety, and can refuse any request believed likely to be used for illegal or improper purposes.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.12 – Subdivision 7a
Fees
DVS charges different amounts depending on the record type and whether you are the person named in the record.
- Non-certified driving record (5-year, convictions only): $9.00 if you are the subject, $9.50 if you are not.
- Certified driving record: $10.00 (subject) or $10.50 (non-subject).
- Certified record with license issuance date letter: $10.00 (subject) or $10.50 (non-subject).
- Vehicle title history: $1.00 per printed page, added to the base record fee.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502
Payment must be a check or money order in U.S. dollars made out to “Driver & Vehicle Services.” DVS does not accept cash for mailed requests, and a request that arrives without payment will not be processed.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502 Confirm current amounts on the DVS records request fees page before submitting, since fees can change.6Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Records Request Fees
How to Submit the Form
By Mail
Send the completed form, your payment, and a photocopy of your government-issued ID to:
Driver and Vehicle Services Records Unit
445 Minnesota St., Suite 161
St. Paul, MN 55101-51611Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Driving Record Request Procedure
Use adequate postage and a return address. DVS mails results through USPS to the address in Section C.
In Person
Bring the form and payment to a full-service deputy registrar office. Because staff verify your identification on the spot, you don’t need to include an ID photocopy. Some locations can print non-certified records while you wait, depending on their capabilities.1Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Driving Record Request Procedure
Online for Your Own Driving Record
To get only your own driving record, create a MyDVS account at drive.mn.gov. Account setup requires requesting a registration letter first. Once active, you can view and print your record online.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Check Your Driving Record With Our New Online Tool The online tool doesn’t cover other people’s records or vehicle title history. Those still require PS2502.
After You Submit
DVS staff review each request to confirm the permissible use code matches the stated reason, the identification checks out, and the fee is correct. Processing for mailed requests generally runs from several business days to a few weeks depending on volume. If something is wrong (missing ID copy, incorrect fee, unsupported permissible use), DVS returns the request rather than processing it, adding round-trip mail time to the delay.
If your records haven’t arrived after a reasonable wait, contact the DVS Records Unit directly. Paper requests have no automated status tracking.
Penalties for Choosing the Wrong Permissible Use
Marking a permissible use category that doesn’t fit your situation is not a paperwork error, it’s a federal violation. Anyone who knowingly obtains or uses protected motor vehicle data for a purpose the DPPA doesn’t allow faces criminal fines under federal sentencing guidelines.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2723 – Penalties On the civil side, the person whose records were improperly accessed can sue in federal court and recover at least $2,500 in liquidated damages per violation, punitive damages for willful or reckless conduct, and attorney’s fees and litigation costs.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2724 – Civil Action Under Minnesota law, the commissioner can also refuse future requests from anyone believed likely to misuse data.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.12 – Subdivision 7a If Section D doesn’t have a category that clearly fits your reason, don’t guess. Get written consent from the subject instead.