Yes. Car insurance companies can gain access to the driving record of any person applying for coverage. The car insurance companies can identify a person’s driving record either through approaching federal agencies and placing a request for the records to be released, or simply by contacting the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). It is the car insurance company’s right to perform this standard procedural check on driving history any time a person applies for a policy. They do this to determine whether a person is a safe driver, and to assist in making a decision on whether to grant coverage and to what extent.

The driving record is one of the determining factors--along with other factors like age, gender and location--behind the overall cost of a car insurance policy. Think of your driving record as a high school report card--if you get all A’s, you get rewarded. The same is true for car insurance--the cleaner your driving record is, the cheaper your policy will be. Since only negative incidents like accidents and tickets show up on your record, the most desirable driving record is one that is completely blank. It is important to note that, in most states, all traffic-related issues will show up on your record. These incidents can range from anything as minor as parking illegally to more severe issues, like reckless driving or driving under the influence (DUI); the financial repercussions usually match the severity of the incident.

You can check your own driving record before applying for car insurance in order to gauge the kind of cost-adjustment (if any) you can expect to face. Depending on the state in which you live, the monetary penalties for black marks on your driving record vary, but are often small increases for minor issues. In some states, your premium will not rise at all if you only have one incident. To check your driving record, you can contact your local DMV, either by phone or by visiting the Web site and answering some prompts to identify yourself. In some states, there may be a small charge for checking your driving record.