Your Minnesota driving record is the file the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division keeps on you, showing your license status, traffic convictions, reported accidents, and any alcohol-related offenses. You can order a copy for $9 (non-certified, five-year history) or $10 (certified with the state seal) using DVS Form PS2502.
What’s Actually on the Record
DVS builds an individual history for every licensed driver using two main streams of information: accident reports filed with the department and conviction abstracts forwarded by the courts. The department uses that history when deciding on renewals, suspensions, and revocations.
At a minimum, your file shows:
- Your license application history, including any denial and the reason for it
- Every suspension, revocation, or cancellation and what caused it
- Traffic convictions reported by the courts
- Accidents reported to DVS
If your license was revoked or suspended for an alcohol-related offense, or you were convicted of DWI, the breath, urine, or blood test result is recorded directly on your driving record and is classified as public data. All of this is governed by Minnesota Statute 171.12.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.12 – Driving Record; Filing; Private Data
Certified or Non-Certified: Which One You Need
DVS issues two versions, and they’re not interchangeable.
The non-certified copy is a five-year history that lists convictions only. It’s fine for personal review, confirming that old tickets have dropped off, or handing to an insurance company. It carries no official seal, so courts and government agencies won’t accept it.
The certified copy carries an official seal confirming it’s an accurate reproduction of the state’s master file. Attorneys, courts, and regulatory agencies typically require this version. You can also request a certified copy bundled with a letter showing the date your license was originally issued, which some employers and licensing boards ask for.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502
How to Order Your Record
Every request runs through DVS Form PS2502, which you can download from the DVS website or pick up at a deputy registrar office. You’ll need your Minnesota driver’s license or ID number, full legal name, and date of birth. Each request must include a legible copy of your driver’s license, a government-issued ID, or a notarized signature as proof of identity.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. DVS Records Request Form PS2502
Fees
When you order your own record:
- Non-certified copy (five-year history): $9
- Certified copy: $10
- Certified copy with license issuance date letter: $10
If someone else is requesting your record on your behalf or through a permissible use, the fees go up slightly: $9.50 non-certified and $10.50 certified. Mailed payments must be by check or money order payable to “Driver & Vehicle Services.” Don’t send cash.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Records Request Fees
By Mail
Send the completed PS2502, proof of identity, and payment to:
Driver and Vehicle Services
445 Minnesota St., Suite 195
Town Square Building
Saint Paul, MN 55101-51904Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Contact – Driver and Vehicle Services
Mailed requests are processed in the order received. Plan on at least ten business days, longer during busy periods.
In Person
A deputy registrar office or DVS location can usually verify your ID and process the request while you wait. That’s the route to take if you need the document the same day. Some county offices no longer handle driving record requests directly and will send you to the state DVS office, so call ahead.
How Long Things Stay on Your Record
Minnesota law sets minimum retention periods based on the severity of the offense. Routine license application records can be destroyed after the license period expires, but convictions and license actions stay for years.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.12 – Driving Record; Filing; Private Data
- Standard convictions, suspensions, revocations, cancellations, and accidents: at least five years. This is the baseline for most traffic violations and the reason the non-certified record covers a five-year window.
- Out-of-service order violations by commercial drivers: at least ten years.
- Alcohol-related offenses and felonies involving a motor vehicle: longer than the standard five years. DWI convictions, implied consent revocations, and the alcohol concentration test results recorded alongside them follow this extended schedule.
“At least” is the operative phrase. A speeding ticket from four years ago is almost certainly still visible but should drop off after five. A DWI conviction will remain visible significantly longer, and DVS may hold any entry past the statutory minimum.
Minnesota Doesn’t Use a Point System
If you’re searching for how many “points” a ticket adds, there’s no answer: Minnesota counts convictions within specific time windows instead.
Your license faces revocation if you accumulate:
- Three or more misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor traffic convictions within 12 months: 30-day revocation
- Four convictions within 12 months: 90-day revocation
- Five convictions within 12 months: one-year revocation
Certain single offenses trigger revocation on their own regardless of the overall count, including DWI, vehicular homicide, fleeing the scene of a crash involving death or injury, using a vehicle in a felony, and driving over 100 miles per hour (which alone carries a six-month revocation).5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.17 – Revocation
Three moving violations in a year puts you at the revocation threshold, which catches some drivers off guard because they expect a points buffer.
Out-of-State Tickets
A ticket in Wisconsin or Iowa doesn’t stay behind when you drive home. Minnesota joined the Driver License Compact in 1989, an interstate agreement built on the principle of one driver, one license, one record. Member states share information about traffic convictions and license suspensions so your home state can treat an out-of-state offense as if it happened locally.6CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Driver License Compact
When another compact state reports a conviction to Minnesota, DVS applies Minnesota law. The offense counts toward your conviction totals and can trigger the same suspension or revocation consequences as a ticket earned here. The compact covers moving violations and major offenses like DWI, but not non-moving tickets such as parking or equipment infractions.
Who Else Can Pull Your Record
The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act limits what state motor vehicle departments can release to a defined list of permitted uses.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records The categories that affect ordinary drivers include:
- Government agencies and courts, including law enforcement, carrying out official functions
- Insurance companies, for claims investigation, fraud prevention, and underwriting
- Employers or agents verifying information about a commercial driver’s license holder, as required under federal commercial vehicle safety regulations
- Parties to civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings, including service of process and pre-suit investigation
Anyone outside those categories needs your written consent. A private company or individual asking for your record without an authorized purpose must get a signed release from you first.
Because the non-certified record covers five years of convictions, that window effectively defines how long past violations can affect an insurance quote or a driving job. Ordering your own copy before you apply lets you see what they’ll see.
Fixing an Error
Mistakes do happen. A conviction can be attributed to the wrong driver, an old suspension can show as unresolved, or details can be out of date. If you spot a problem, contact DVS directly through the Saint Paul office or the contact information on the DPS website.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Contact – Driver and Vehicle Services
For errors that originate with a court conviction, such as a dismissed charge still showing as a conviction, you’ll likely need documentation from the court that handled the case. The Minnesota Judicial Branch notes that driving records are separate from court records, so corrections may require coordination between both systems.8Minnesota Judicial Branch. Drivers License Issues – Frequently Asked Questions Pulling your record every so often, even when nothing’s prompting it, is the easiest way to catch a problem before it costs you.