Washington MVR Driving Record Release of Interest: Who Can Ask You to Sign

Washington’s Driving Record Release of Interest form, DOL form DSC-425-020, is the written consent you sign so an employer, insurer, or other authorized organization can order your official driving abstract from the Department of Licensing. The form itself is free. Each abstract the requester pulls costs $15.¹ Without a signed release on file, DOL will not release your record to a third party.

Where to Get the Form

Download it from the DOL website under form number 425020. It’s a single page, available in English and several other languages.² Most employers and insurers hand you a copy as part of their onboarding or application paperwork, but you can print your own and bring it in.

What to Fill In

Every field matters. A missing entry or a name that doesn’t match DOL’s records will delay the request or get it rejected outright.

Your full legal name, exactly as it appears on your Washington driver’s license. Not a nickname, not a shortened version.
Your date of birth.
Your Washington driver’s license number. Double-check every digit; this is the primary identifier DOL uses to locate your record.
The abstract type being requested (employment, insurance, court, or full). Choosing the wrong type can trigger a denial if the requester isn’t authorized for that category.
Your handwritten signature. Without it, the form is invalid.
The requesting organization’s information: an authorized representative signs, prints their name and title, and identifies the organization. This lets DOL verify the requester belongs to a permitted category.

Fill in your own information yourself. Don’t sign a blank form and let someone else complete the rest later.

Pick the Right Abstract Type

Washington doesn’t issue a single generic driving record. The form requires the requester to check one of the following, and the choice depends on who they are and why they need the record:³

Employment abstract, for employers, prospective employers, volunteer organizations, and transit authorities.
Insurance abstract, for insurance carriers that currently cover you or are evaluating an application.
Court abstract, for law and justice agencies.
Full abstract, for you as the named driver and for certain government agencies.

If you’re applying for a driving job and the employer accidentally checks “insurance,” DOL may reject the request and the hiring process stalls. It’s worth a quick look before you sign.

Who Is Allowed to Ask You to Sign One

Washington law limits who can receive your driving abstract at all, so the Release of Interest form is only valid when it comes from someone in an authorized category. RCW 46.52.130 lists them:¹

Employers and prospective employers (or their agents) evaluating you for a position that involves driving.
Insurance carriers that currently insure you or are considering your application.
Transit authorities.
Volunteer organizations where driving is part of the role.
School districts.
Alcohol or drug treatment agencies approved by the Department of Health.
Government agencies acting in an official capacity, including city attorneys, county prosecutors, the attorney general, and state and federal agencies.

You can always order your own abstract without a release form. And attorneys involved in civil or criminal litigation have a separate pathway under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, which allows disclosure of motor vehicle record information for use in court proceedings and investigation in anticipation of litigation.⁴ For routine employment and insurance screening, though, the Release of Interest form is the standard route.

What the Requester Does Next

Once you sign and hand the form back, you’re done. The organization uses it to order the abstract through one of two channels.

Online Through License eXpress for Business

Most organizations order driving records through the DOL’s License eXpress for Business portal. The business first registers for a DIAS (Driver Information and Adjudication System) account.⁵ Once logged in, an authorized user searches for the driver, selects the abstract type, and submits the request.⁶ The abstract is typically available to view and print within 24 hours.³

The signed Release of Interest form is not uploaded into the portal. The organization keeps it on file as proof of consent, and DOL may audit for it later.

By Mail

Organizations that don’t use License eXpress, and individual drivers requesting their own record, can mail a completed request with payment to:⁷

Driver Records
Department of Licensing
PO Box 3907
Seattle, WA 98124-3907

Each abstract costs $15, payable by check or money order.⁷ Mail requests take 10 to 14 days to process.³ If someone needs the record quickly, the online route is the only realistic option.

The Two-Year Retention Rule

The form itself states that the employer or prospective employer must keep the signed original for at least two years from the date of the request.⁸ This gives state auditors a way to confirm that proper consent existed before the record was accessed. Discarding the form early can cost the organization its requesting privileges.

Privacy Limits on What the Requester Can Do With Your Record

Washington treats driving records as confidential. An employer, insurer, transit authority, volunteer organization, or school district that receives your abstract may not share the information outside the authorized purpose.³ An employer can’t hand your record to an unrelated vendor or use it to decide matters that have nothing to do with driving duties.

Under RCW 46.52.130, anyone who uses the information for a purpose other than the one it was furnished for is guilty of a gross misdemeanor, and so is anyone who knowingly discloses the information to an unauthorized person or entity.¹ A gross misdemeanor in Washington can carry up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

If a Screening Company Pulls the Record Instead

When an employer uses a third-party background check company (a consumer reporting agency) to pull your driving record rather than ordering it directly, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act adds requirements on top of the Washington release form.

Before the check runs, the employer must give you a clear, written disclosure on a standalone document, separate from the job application, stating that a consumer report (which includes motor vehicle records) may be obtained for employment purposes. You must then authorize the background check in writing. If something on the record makes the employer consider denying, firing, or demoting you, they must first send a pre-adverse action notice that includes a copy of the report and a written summary of your FCRA rights, giving you a chance to review and dispute errors before any decision is final.⁹

The FCRA steps don’t replace the Washington release. A company that orders your record through a screening vendor still needs your signed DSC-425-020 for DOL purposes and a separate FCRA-compliant disclosure and authorization for federal purposes. Combining them into one document is a common compliance mistake.

Check Your Own Record First

Before you sign a release for a job you want, order your own full abstract. At $15, it’s cheap preparation, and it lets you see what the employer will see. If you spot an error, you have time to work with the court that reported the entry to get it corrected before it costs you an offer.

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.130 – Abstract of Driving Record – Access – Fee – Violations
2
Washington State Department of Licensing. Find a Form
3
Washington State Department of Licensing. Guide to Driving Records
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records
5
Washington State Department of Licensing. Register for a New License Express for Business Account
6
Washington State Department of Licensing. Request an Abstract Driver Record (ADR)
7
Washington State Department of Licensing. Get Your Driving Record
8
Issaquah School District. Abstract of Driving Record Release of Interest
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681b – Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports