# Is there a cheap/free way to check one's driving record?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-cheap-free-way-to-check-ones-driving-record/225660>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 22, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-cheap-free-way-to-check-ones-driving-record/225660 "2004-01-22T20:23:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-cheap-free-way-to-check-ones-driving-record/225660/1 "2004-01-22T20:23:35Z")

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My license was, unbeknownst to me, suspended briefly after I failed to attend “operator retraining” for receiving two tickets in a three-year period. After finding out about this (fortunately, not by being arrested), I took steps to remedy the situation by taking the class and sending in the $100 “fee” (read: fine) for reinstating my license.

Anyway, I did this a week or so ago, and I’m currently applying for a job that checks one’s driving record. Obviously, I don’t want them pulling it up and seeing that my license is still suspended, so I want to check on my own first before telling them to run it.

I can go to the local DMV and get a copy of my record, but they charge a ludicrous fee of $20 just to print the damn thing out and give it to you. Since I may be running this more than once, there’s no way I’m going to keep paying them $20 a pop to find out information that SHOULD be readily available.

That said, does anybody know of a good way of getting this information without paying the demanded fees? Obviously, every time you apply for car insurance, they check your record; someone had suggested I go to my insurer. However, when I did this, they told me that various laws _prevent_ them from rerunning a driver’s history after they’re already a client. My guess is, this is to prevent them from constantly checking up on drivers and changing rates, but that doesn’t help me much right now.

So, any ideas? Should I pretend im interested in another insurer, and try to get them to give me the information? Is there anywhere online where you can do this? I don’t mind paying for it, but $20 is a bit steep – especially considering this information directly concerns me, and is generated by me.

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**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-cheap-free-way-to-check-ones-driving-record/225660/2 "2004-01-22T23:06:44Z")

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What state are you in? FL has a place on the DMV’s website that lets you check to see if your license if valid or suspended. Won’t show you a driving record though. You might want to check your state’s website.

Also, if you go to the traffic section of your local courthouse, they shouldn’t charge more than like 5 bucks for a driving history. You might have to wait in a long line though. That alone is worth the extra 15 bucks IMO.