If you're concerned about your privacy, you may find yourself wondering what shows up on DMV records. Records collected by the DMV can tell a driver's date of birth and sometimes his Social Security number. DMV records contain information about the status of your drivers license, and any moving violations you have had, along with all the tickets, accidents, and DUIs you have had. Someone looking into your DMV records could find out if you have a problem with speeding or reckless driving. In some circumstances, the person could even discover if you have had a felony drug possession.

Driving records can tell if your license has been suspended or revoked, as well as the county where the offense occurred. Because of this, DMV records are sometimes used when trying to track down a last known address for a person who has been unable to be contacted through other means.

The length of time specific information stays on a DMV record varies. DMV records sometimes go back up to 30 years. However, it is common that the records with no activity, such as traffic tickets, are purged after four years. Serious convictions such as a DUI or hit and run are kept on your record for 10 years, while more minor offenses are kept on your records for three years. If there are actions taken against your license, such as having it revoked or suspended, that information will stay on your record for five years. Failure to Appear or Failure to Pay offenses are typically on DMV records for five years.

Records maintained by your state DMV office contain an impressive amount of information. These records can be used for many different reasons, such as conducting a pre-employment screening or having an insurance company check your driving history to see if they are going to offer you an auto policy.

Requesting a copy of your own DMV records is a simple process that involves paying a small fee, showing identification, and completing a short form at the DMV office. To see the DMV records for another driver, however, you need to have a signed release giving you permission to access the file. There is so much sensitive information in DMV records that these privacy protections are considered a necessary safeguard.

However, certain employers may be able to access you driving records when the position is related to driving. In many cases, you must give your permission for another to access your driving record.