To get an Alabama driving record, you request it from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) online, by mail, or in person. The standard motor vehicle record (MVR) costs $5.75; a complete driver abstract costs $15.00 and can only be obtained in person at an ALEA Driver License Office. Online is the fastest route for the standard record.
What You Need Before You Request
Have your full legal name, date of birth, and Alabama driver’s license number ready. If you don’t have your license number, your Social Security number works as a substitute.1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency – Request for Driving Record
Decide which record you actually need. The standard MVR is a summary of your driving history and costs $5.75.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements The complete driver abstract covers your entire driving history and costs $15.00.3Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency – Driver Abstract Request Most drivers only need the MVR. Ask for the abstract when a court, employer, or attorney has told you specifically that they require it.
Order Online
Go to ALEA’s driver portal at alabamadl.alea.gov and purchase the standard driver record for $5.75.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements The full driver abstract is not available through the online portal. If you need the abstract, skip to the in-person option.
Order by Mail
Download the Request for Driving Record form from the ALEA website, complete it, and mail it with a copy of your valid photo ID and $5.75 to:1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency – Request for Driving Record
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
Driver License Division
P.O. Box 1471
Montgomery, AL 36102-1472
Payment by mail must be a cashier’s check, certified check, or money order made payable to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Personal checks are not accepted for any request type.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements Plan on one to two weeks for the record to arrive.
Order in Person
Visit any ALEA Driver License Office with the completed request form, a government-issued photo ID, and your payment. In-person offices accept cash, money order, Visa, or MasterCard. This is the only channel that issues the full $15.00 driver abstract.3Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency – Driver Abstract Request
Reading the Record: Points and Suspensions
Your record shows convictions and, where applicable, the points ALEA assigned to each moving violation. Points count against you on a rolling two-year window. After two years a conviction no longer counts toward suspension, but it stays on your record permanently.4Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Point System
Common point values:
- 2 points: speeding 1–25 mph over the limit, improper lane change, failure to signal, and most other moving violations
- 3 points: following too closely, running a stop sign or red light, and failing to obey a construction zone or officer
- 4 points: illegal passing or driving on the wrong side of the road
- 5 points: speeding 26+ mph over the limit, failure to yield, and passing a stopped school bus
- 6 points: reckless driving and alcohol-related convictions that do not carry mandatory revocation
Twelve or more points inside a two-year window triggers a suspension:4Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Point System
- 12–14 points: 60-day suspension
- 15–17 points: 90-day suspension
- 18–20 points: 120-day suspension
- 21–23 points: 180-day suspension
- 24+ points: 365-day suspension
Checking for Errors
Read the record line by line when it arrives. Watch for violations you don’t recognize, accidents you weren’t involved in, duplicate entries for the same incident, and an incorrect license status. Errors surface most often when names or license numbers closely match another driver’s.
If something looks wrong, contact ALEA’s Driver License Division and be ready to back up your dispute with documentation. That might be a court disposition showing a charge was dismissed, a police report showing you weren’t in an accident, or correspondence from your insurance company. Keep copies of everything you send.
If the Record Shows a Suspension
A current suspension on your record means you cannot drive legally until you serve the suspension period, meet any underlying conditions such as unpaid fines or court requirements, and pay a reinstatement fee. ALEA charges $100 to reinstate a suspended or cancelled license and $175 to reinstate a revoked license. Alcohol or drug-related suspensions cost $275, plus a $25 drug-related surcharge and a $150 interlock issuance fee when an ignition interlock device is required.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements
Reinstatement fees can be paid online at alabamadl.alea.gov or in person at any ALEA Driver License Office. The same payment restrictions apply; no personal checks.
Who Else Can Pull Your Record
Your driving record is not fully private. Under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, government agencies, courts, and law enforcement can access it in the course of official duties, insurance companies can access it for underwriting and claims, and employers can check the record of a commercial driver’s license holder to verify qualifications.5Alabama.gov. Drivers Privacy Protection Act 18 USC 2721 Most other third-party requests require your written consent, with limited statutory exceptions for private investigators, businesses verifying identity to prevent fraud, and attorneys involved in litigation. ALEA can tell you about requests made through its system if you want to know who has pulled your record.