Driving records will need to be obtained by most people at one time or another during their lives. A driving record provides the last known address for a person, his date of birth, and sometimes his Social Security number. A driving record will tell of any moving violations or accidents, as well as the number of points earned if the person is a resident of a state that uses this system of tracking driver behavior. The status of a license can also be checked by ordering a driver record, including whether or not the license is suspended or revoked. In most cases, a driving record will tell what county the offenses took place in. Sometimes, a felony drug possession charge will even show up on your driving record.

The most common reason for needing to order a driving record is for a pre-employment screening. Ordering a copy of an applicant's driving record allows the potential employer to find out whether or not the person obeys traffic laws and whether or not he pays his fines on time. The company can't order your driving record without your consent, however.

Another popular reason for needing these records is to satisfy insurance company requirements. The insurance company might require a copy of your driving record to file a claim or even to decide whether or not to cover you with their insurance in the first place. Again, the insurance company will need your permission in order to get your driving record.

When you want to obtain a copy of your personal driving record, you generally should go straight to the nearest DMV office. The Office of Driver Services has the responsibility of keeping the records of everyone who has ever had a driver's license in their particular state. They will provide a copy of your record after you fill out a short form, show a copy of your ID, and pay a small fee.

If time is of the essence or you don't want to deal with your state's DMV representatives, you can order your driving record through a private Web site. However, you will want to keep in mind that records ordered online through a third party may not be certified and thus would not be officially acceptable for a pre-employment screening. The potential employer could opt to order a record through a third party service on your behalf, but he would need a signed statement from you giving your permission for this to take place.

There are also third party Web sites where you can get the driving records of anyone by just having a name, license plate number, or even a partial plate number. However, these types of resources are mostly for people looking for other drivers for personal reasons.  The records are not certified and can't be used for any sort of business affair.