Find DMV Offices
Find Service Providers
Sooner or later, virtually all motorists wind up violating one or more traffic laws and getting tickets, When those tickets turn into convictions for moving violations, they wind up on your Washington State driving record. Driving records are public records, which means you can obtain them when you make requests through the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL).
How to Obtain Your Washington State Driving Record
Any individual can obtain a copy of his or her Washington State driving record. A Washington State driving record lists and individual driver’s:
- Moving violations
- Citations
- Convictions
- Collisions
- License suspensions and reinstatements
You can request a copy or your driving record online, by mail or at a DOL service center. A fee applies, which you must pay with a personal check, money order, cashier’s check, credit card or a debit card.
Applying to Get the Driving Record
You can obtain a copy of your driving record by completing and mailing in or dropping off a Driving Record Request form at a DOL service center. You also can obtain a copy of your driving record online at License eXpress. You also can submit a request for another person’s driving record, but you must be among the qualifying list of those who can request and receive other people’s driving records.
Approved third parties that can obtain an individual’s driving record include attorneys, law enforcement, employers and others who can demonstrate a legitimate need to obtain the confidential driving records.
Required Documentation
You will need to provide acceptable proof of identity when applying to obtain yours or another’s driving record You will need to provide your name, relevant business information, mailing address and contact information.
You also need to provide the identifying information on the subject, including his or her name, date of birth and Washington State driver license number. You also need to check which of the four types of driving records you seek for each request.
Fees for Getting Your Driving Record and Payment Methods
The DOL charges a $13 fee for each driving record request. You must pay the fee when submitting the application to obtain the driving record. The DOL accepts payments via credit card, debit card, personal check, money order or cashier’s check.
Types of Driver Records
The Washington DOL maintains four types of driving records that it provides for differing reasons. A full driving record provides a full driver history in Washington State, including violations, convictions, accidents, suspensions and other actions affecting the holder’s driving privileges in the state. The full record is available to the individual named in the record, attorneys, law enforcement and governmental agencies.
A second type of driver record is the insurance record, which provides the past three years’ of violations, convictions, accidents and any failures to appear in court over traffic matters. The insurance driving record is what auto insurers obtain when determining auto insurance rates for individuals.
An employment driver record provides prospective employers with a full driver record of employees and prospective employees. The records help to determine whether or not someone is good job candidate or a potential risk.
An alcohol and drug treatment driver history provides a five-year history of moving violations, collisions, suspensions and other actions. The record is available for drug and alcohol treatment and assessment agencies to help better determine the extent of the problem affecting a patient.