Washington Driving Record Release of Interest Form: Use and Penalties

The Washington Driving Record Release of Interest form is DOL form 425020, the written authorization an employer, insurer, volunteer organization, or transit authority needs before it can pull your driving abstract from the Department of Licensing.¹ The requesting organization fills in its section, you fill in yours and sign, and the organization keeps the signed original in its files for at least five years. The form is never sent to the DOL.²

Who Can Ask You to Sign One

Washington driving records are confidential under RCW 46.52.130, and only four categories of requester can obtain yours with a signed Release of Interest:²

Employers and prospective employers considering you for a job that involves driving, or monitoring current employees in those roles.
Insurance companies and their agents, for underwriting, rate setting, or coverage decisions.
Volunteer organizations that rely on volunteer drivers.³
Transit authorities screening prospective or current vanpool drivers.

A verbal okay is not enough. Without the signed form, none of them can legally access your record.

Filling Out the Form

The form has two parts. The organization completes its section first, then hands it to you to complete and sign.

The Company Section

The organization enters its full registered business name, address, and the name of the authorized representative making the request. Anyone signing for the business should add their title next to their signature.⁴ One question asks whether the record is needed for employment purposes related to driving. The DOL ties permissible use to that answer, so it has to be accurate.⁵

Your Section

You enter your full legal name, date of birth, and Washington driver’s license number. The DOL matches the request to your record using these fields, so check the license number carefully; a single wrong digit will cause the pull to fail. Check the box that describes your relationship to the organization (employee, prospective employee, or volunteer) and sign.

No notary is required. Your signature by itself is enough.

If you’re a current employee, the authorization can cover the full term of your employment at the employer’s discretion, so one signed form may stay valid for as long as you work there.⁵

What the Organization Does With the Signed Form

The organization does not mail or upload the Release of Interest anywhere. It files the signed original and must retain it for at least five years.²

The DOL can audit at any time to verify that a valid, complete Release of Interest existed before each driving record was pulled.³ If the organization cannot produce the signed form, the DOL can revoke its access to the driving record system.²

What Record the Form Actually Unlocks

With your signed authorization on file, the organization can order one of three abstracts from the DOL, each $15:⁶⁷

Employment record: convictions, violations, collisions, suspensions, revocations, disqualifications, deferred prosecutions, and failures to appear. Used by employers, volunteer organizations, and transit authorities.
Insurance record: a three-year history of convictions, violations, collisions, and failures to appear. Typically what insurers pull.
Full record: everything on the employment record, the most comprehensive version the DOL releases.

If You’re Asked to Sign Something Else Too

The Release of Interest covers Washington state law. Two federal rules can require additional paperwork on top of it.

If your employer uses an outside background check company rather than ordering the record directly, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a separate written disclosure in a standalone document and a separate written authorization before the report is pulled.⁸ The Release of Interest does not satisfy the FCRA, and the FCRA disclosure does not satisfy the DOL. Expect to sign both.

If you hold a commercial driver’s license, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires your motor carrier to pull your motor vehicle record every 12 months and keep it on file for three years.⁹ Each annual pull still needs a valid Release of Interest, but a single signed form can cover the full term of your employment.

Penalties for Pulling a Record Without One

Accessing a Washington driving record without a valid Release of Interest is a crime, not just a policy breach. A negligent violation of RCW 46.52.130 is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. An intentional violation is a Class C felony.²¹⁰ When a requester certifies to the DOL that it holds a valid Release of Interest, it does so under penalty of perjury.¹¹

1
Washington State Department of Licensing. Find a Form
2
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.130 – Abstract of Driving Record – Access – Fee – Violations
3
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driving Record Request
4
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driving Record Release of Interest
5
Wenatchee School District. Washington Driving Record Release of Interest Form
6
Washington State Department of Licensing. Get Your Driving Record
7
Washington State Department of Licensing. Guide to Driving Records
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681b – Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports
9
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Driver’s Motor Vehicle Record
10
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984
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Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. School District Driving Record Request