Driving Records in Connecticut

Check Your Driver's License Status

Your Connecticut driving record provides a thorough look at your driving history―sometimes up to 10 years worth of information.

Your Connecticut Driving Record

On your CT driving record, you can expect to find:

• Your driver’s license status; specifically, license suspension and license revocation.
• Traffic tickets and violations, and any outstanding fines.
• Car accidents.
• Your driver’s license classification and endorsements.
• Any driving record points.

How Long Does Info Stay on Your Driving Record?

How long information stays on your driving record depends on the type of license you have and the infraction you’ve committed, but most violations stay on your record for two years (24 months). If you have a commercial driver's license (CDL), federal law mandates that violations remain on your record for 55 years.

Why Order CT Driving Records?

Your driver history reveals a lot about your driving habits, and people want to learn more about those for numerous reasons.

Employers―especially those who require driving―want to make sure you don’t have a history of traffic tickets, car accidents, or license revocation. Likewise, car insurance companies use this information to determine whether you’re a high-risk driver and what kinds of coverage rates to offer you.

Therefore, it’s important to keep tabs on your driver’s license status to make sure the information is correct.

Employers and Your Driving Record

As we mentioned above, employers like to gauge the reliability of their potential employees. Some employers conduct background checks, which sometimes means getting a copy of your driving record, especially if the position requires you to drive.

Your potential employer will look at:

• Traffic violations.
• Serious violation convictions, like DUI and reckless driving.
• Any license suspension, revocation, cancellation, and denial.

Car Insurance and Your Driving Record

Most agencies look at your driving history when determining your car insurance premium. Anything from traffic violations to auto accidents can peg you as a high-risk driver, causing higher auto insurance rates.

Learn more at our page How Driving Record Points Affect Auto Insurance Rates.

How to Order a CT Driving Record

You can order a driving record by mail or in person at the DMV.

Currently, the CT DMV doesn’t offer an option to order a driving record online.

Order Your Own Driving Record

By Mail

To order your driving record by mail:

• Download and complete a Copy Records Request (Form J-23). (The CT DMV uses this form for various DMV records, so be sure to check the box for “Driving History.”)
• Sign your name and enter the applicable code number “10” for a self-requested record in the “Request” section on the first page.
• Include your phone number on the form.
• Enclose a copy of your driver’s license, passport, or other photo identification.
• Enclose a check or money order for the $20 fee made payable to the DMV.

Mail everything to:

• Department of Motor Vehicles
• Copy Records Unit
• 60 State Street
• Wethersfield, CT 06161

You should receive your driving record three weeks from the process date.

At the DMV

Want to pick up a copy of your Connecticut driving record in person instead? Follow the same steps as above, only instead of mailing it in, bring everything to your nearest full- or limited-service DMV location.

Order Another Person’s Driving Record

You can order another person’s driving record by mail following the same steps as above―including the photo identification. However, you’ll need to list a different code number in the “Request” section.

You’ll choose a code number between one and nine, and your code number depends on why you’re requesting the person’s driving history. So, if there’s no code number that fits your situation, chances are you aren’t allowed to view the person’s record.

Some situations for requesting another person’s driving record include:

• Those related to motor vehicle and driver safety.
• Employment.
• Government agencies, or a private entities working for government agencies.
• Research for anonymous statistical reports.
• Civil or criminal court proceedings.

Check the second page of Form J-23 to make sure you’re allowed to order the driving record.

Driving Records and Third-Party Vendors

If you need a driving record in a hurry, consider ordering one from a third-party company. These vendors aren’t officially affiliated with the CT DMV, but they can provide a copy of your driving record for a nominal fee and, in many cases, faster than the DMV.

Keep in mind that an online driving record generally isn’t an official document from the CT DMV. It’s a good way to get a quick view of your driving history, but an official copy should always be obtained from the DMV.

Correcting Information on Your Driving Record

The process for correcting information on your driving record depends on the changes you need to make. For example, changing a driver’s license status from suspended to valid is different from removing a traffic violation for which you were found not guilty.

To begin the process, call the Copy Records Unit Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.:

• (860) 263-5700 (Within Hartford area or out of state)
• (800) 842-8222 (All other areas in Connecticut)

National Driver Register Record Checks

Whether you’re an employer who wants to take the extra step in investigating potential employees, or you’re a driver who’s curious about your own complete driving history, you might want to order a National Driver Register (NDR) Record Check.

The NDR keeps a record of your driving history from all states, as long as the state reports your history to the NDR.

Information on your NDR Record Check includes:

• License denial.
• License cancellation.
• License suspension and revocation.
• Serious traffic violation convictions.

You can order a copy of your own NDR record check. You will need to send a notarized letter (called a privacy act request) to the NDR, and include your full name, birth date, your state/driver's license number, your weight, height, sex, and eye color.

Send this letter to:

• • National Driver Register
• • 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
• • Washington, D.C. 20590

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