How to Fill Out NYS DMV Form MV-15: Record Type, Use Code, Mailing

New York State DMV Form MV-15 is the paper application you mail to Albany to request certified driving abstracts, vehicle registration and title searches, plate abstracts, ticket dispositions, and other DMV records. Each record costs $10. To file it, you enter the subject’s identifying information, check the box for the record you want, initial the permissible-use code that fits your reason for asking, enclose a check or money order along with a copy of your photo ID, and mail everything to the MV-15 Processing unit at 6 Empire State Plaza.

Before you start filling in the form, check whether you need it at all. If you only want your own driving abstract, ordering through MyDMV online costs $7 and the PDF is available in your account within minutes. A walk-in request at a DMV office uses the shorter MV-15C and costs $10.¹ MV-15 is the right choice when you need a certified copy, when you’re pulling someone else’s record, or when you need a non-driving record like a title or registration search.

Pick the Right Record Type First

MV-15 lets you request one of three driving abstract types. Choosing wrong means paying another $10 for a second request.

Standard abstract. Shows accidents and most traffic convictions from the current calendar year plus the three preceding years. Older entries drop off. This is what most insurers and employers expect.²
Lifetime abstract. Contains everything the DMV has ever recorded for a person holding a New York permit, license, or non-driver ID, including entries older than the standard retention window. DWI defense lawyers and background-check firms typically want this version. If anyone other than the record holder is requesting a Lifetime abstract, Form MV-15GC (written consent) must be attached.³⁴
CDL abstract. Built for commercial driver license holders. Alongside the standard driving history, it shows the driver’s medical self-certification status and the expiration date of the medical examiner’s certificate.⁵

MV-15 also handles vehicle registration searches, plate abstracts, title (VIN) abstracts, ticket dispositions, suspension or revocation orders, and insurance information searches. Each item is $10. For multiple records, attach a list and include $10 for each.⁴

Filling Out the Form

Download MV-15 as a PDF from dmv.ny.gov. One sheet covers every record type, so you only complete the sections that apply to your request.

Identifying the Subject

Enter the full legal name, date of birth, and sex of the person whose record you want, exactly as it appears on their license or ID. The key field is the nine-digit Client ID Number from the top of the New York license, permit, or non-driver ID card.⁶ That number stays the same across renewals and replacements. For a vehicle search, you’ll instead provide the plate number, VIN, or title number depending on which record you’re asking for.

Checking the Record Box

Mark the box for the specific record you want. Standard, Lifetime, and CDL abstracts are listed separately, as are the various vehicle, title, and ticket searches. One box per record, $10 each.

Payment

Pay by check or money order made out to the “Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.” The DMV does not accept cash, credit cards, or starter checks for mail-in requests.⁴ The $10 fee is charged even when no record is found, so verify every identifier before you mail.⁷

Proof of Your Identity

The DMV requires one of two things: a photocopy of your driver license or government-issued photo ID enclosed with the form, or your signature on the form notarized.⁴ A missing ID copy is one of the most common reasons MV-15 requests get kicked back. Don’t skip it.

Initialing a Permissible Use Code

Federal law restricts who can obtain personal information from motor vehicle records and why. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act allows release only for specific approved purposes.⁸ MV-15 lists nearly twenty permissible-use codes, and you must initial the one that fits your reason. Failing to initial a code, or initialing one that doesn’t fit, will get the request rejected.

The codes that come up most often cover:

Court or legal proceedings, including civil and criminal litigation, service of process, pre-filing investigation, and judgment enforcement.
Insurance activity such as claims investigation, anti-fraud work, rating, and underwriting.
Government functions carried out by a public agency or by a private entity acting on its behalf.
Commercial driver employer use, where an employer verifies information about a CDL holder as required under federal motor carrier rules.
Business verification of information an individual submitted to the business, limited to fraud prevention or debt recovery and not for marketing.
Written consent of the record holder, which requires Form MV-15GC.⁴

If you’re pulling your own record, the certification is straightforward because you’re the record holder. The section matters most when a third party is involved.

Requesting Someone Else’s Record

You can use MV-15 to request another person’s driving record, vehicle registration, or title information only if your reason qualifies under one of the permissible-use codes. An attorney gathering records for litigation, an insurer underwriting a policy, and a government agency performing an audit all qualify. Casual curiosity does not.

For a third party’s Lifetime abstract specifically, Form MV-15GC must be attached. That form carries the signature of the person whose record is being requested, confirming they consent to the release.⁴ Government agencies, courts, and law enforcement acting in their official capacity are exempt from the consent requirement.

Government agencies, public officers, volunteer fire companies, ambulance services, and legal aid organizations are also exempt from the $10 fee, provided the records are requested for official business and sent to the agency’s business address. The exemption cannot be used to pull personal records for yourself.⁴

Where to Mail the Form

Send the completed MV-15, your payment, and your identification copy to:

MV-15 Processing
NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
6 Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12228⁴

No official processing time is published. Plan on at least a couple of weeks, longer during busy periods. If you need an abstract right away for your own use, the MyDMV online option delivers it the same day.

Penalties for a False Certification

The permissible-use certification is not a formality. Anyone who knowingly obtains or discloses personal information from a motor vehicle record for a purpose not permitted under the DPPA faces a federal criminal fine.⁹ The person whose record was improperly pulled can also sue. Courts may award actual damages with a floor of $2,500 per violation in liquidated damages, plus punitive damages for willful or reckless conduct, attorney’s fees, and other equitable relief.¹⁰ Pick the code that honestly describes your purpose.

1
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract)
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New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. DS-242.1 – Description of Standard Abstract of Driving Record
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New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Description of Lifetime Abstract of Driving Record
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New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. NYS DMV Form MV-15 – Request for Certified DMV Records
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical
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New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Sample New York DMV Photo Documents
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New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. NYS DMV Form MV-15C – Request for Driving Record Information
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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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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2723 – Penalties
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2724 – Civil Action