If you are an employer looking for a bit of insight on a candidate's past, or an insurance provider trying to determine a premium, you may want to know how to find someone by her driver license number. If you are a third party accessing a driver's record, you need to have an applicable reason (other than curiosity). What constitutes fair use varies by state. In some jurisdictions, you must be a government agent or be researching fraud, while in others, you can qualify by being an employer or insurer.
Gather Information
Each state varies in its laws about driving records. All states allow you to pull your own driving record for any reason. Many states allow third-parties to view driving records, but others bar access to driving records to anyone but the license holder. For example, Washington allows attorneys, law enforcement and government agencies to view your complete driving record, but insurance companies and agents can only view a three-year abstract.
The more information you have, the better chances of finding a record. Knowing which state your subject resides in and his driver's license number will serve you best. Date of birth, address and plate number will help as well.
Submit Forms to the DMV
To save time, find out which forms you'll need ahead of time. You can often find these on the state's motor vehicle department's (DMV) website. In states like California, you can complete an information request online using the Driver Record Request application. In other cases, you can submit your request by mailing in your forms or you can request a driver's record in person at the DMV. Depending on your state, you may have to wait two or more weeks to receive your results.
Warnings
Serious traffic violations carry over to other states via the National Driver Register (NDR). So, even if you've moved, your record may follow you. You will most likely need to pay a fee in order to conduct a search and pull any records found. This fee varies by state. DWI and DUI's are serious offenses and will likely remain on driving records as well as in criminal court records. Make sure you know the full, legal name of your subject. For example, some names are actually nicknames, such as "Betsy" for "Elizabeth" or "Jack" for "John."
Tips
If driving records are not public information in your state, try pulling a driving record from somewhere where the individual previously lived. You can also search for an individual violation, if you know the ticket number and the date of the violation. You may be able to opt to receive results by fax or email, significantly cutting down the turnaround time.
References
Resources
Tips
- If driving records are not public information in your state, try pulling a driving record from somewhere where the individual previously lived.
- You can also search for an individual violation, if you know the ticket number and the date of the violation.
- You may be able to opt to receive results by fax or email, significantly cutting down the turnaround time.
Warnings
- Serious traffic violations carry over to other states via the National Driver Register (NDR). So, even if you've moved, your record may follow you.
- You will most likely need to pay a fee in order to conduct a search and pull any records found. This fee varies by state.
- DWI and DUI's are serious offenses and will likely remain on driving records as well as in criminal court records.
- Make sure you know the full, legal name of your subject. For example, some names are actually nicknames, such as "Betsy" for "Elizabeth" or "Jack" for "John."
Writer Bio
Jack Busch graduated from University of Iowa in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in English with honors and has been publishing web content ever since. He has contributed to groovyPost.com, 7Tutorials.com, PrimerMagazine.com and various other tech websites. He also co-authored "Network Your Computer & Devices Step by Step" (Microsoft Press).