Having a copy of your driving record is a great idea, and is often a necessity depending on what you are working on. If you are facing a charge of 10 mph over the legal speed limit, disobeying a traffic signal, reckless driving, drag racing, or refusal to submit to chemical testing, then you will want a copy of your driving record. It is a good idea to account for and manage the points on your license, but our driver's license attorney advocates that you should contest each and every traffic citation possible. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to drop or reduce the violation. There is no sense in cluttering your driving record with offenses, because you never know what might happen in the future and how that could affect your driving status.
There are many reasons why it is a good idea to monitor your driving record. You can think of it as similar to needing to monitor your credit report. You will get a letter in the mail notifying you that the Secretary of State is concerned about your ability to driver safely within the law when you accumulate four points in two years, 8 points at any point in time, or 12 points. However, 12 points is really the magic number that triggers a driver’s license reexamination. At a driver’s license reexamination, they interview you about the violations, infractions, and incidents on your driving record and decide about whether to restrict, suspend, or revoke your driver’s license. Navigate over to our Michigan Point System page to learn more.
Under MCL 257.732(15) the law requires the Secretary of State to compile a record each time a person is charged with or cited for a violation, as well as any restriction, suspension or denial ordered by the court provided by law. The MDR is information compiled by the Secretary of State branch offices, internal units, courts, police agencies, other states, and the Department of Community Health. The MDR has two main components, the driver license header and the driving history. The driver license header contains an individual’s driver license number, full name, date of birth, address, eye color, height, weight, sex, and most recent application information. The driving history includes most of the information you will be looking for, including: convictions for traffic violations, Failure to Comply with Judgement (FCJ), Failure to Appear in Court (FAC), accidents, and driving licensing actions such as mandatory suspensions, revocations, denials, and restrictions on driving privileges.
There are three different kinds of driving records that are available for purchase, and depending on your needs you may choose to use one of the two types of edited records. First, the Certified Complete Record is the most complete record a customer can purchase. This is the form of driving record you should obtain for use with an attorney or court appearance. Second, a Certified Edited Record is usually purchased by a person who needs to share their driving record with an employer. Last, a Certified CDL Edited Record is used by a person who wishes to show an employer that they have complied with federal commercial driver license requirements.
There are four different ways to request a copy of your driving record. You can make a request by mail, fax, telephone, or in person at any Secretary of State branch office. Unfortunately, there is not currently a way to obtain your records online directly through the Secretary of State.
If you choose to request a record by mail you must fill out a Michigan Department of State Record Lookup Request form. You can find a copy of the record lookup request form here.
Once the form is completed you can submit the form, the $11 fee, and any additional certification fee necessary to:
Michigan Department of State
Record Lookup Unit
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918-1502
The fax requests are very similar to the request by mail. You will need to complete the same form above and pay with a Discover, MasterCard, or Visa. Fax the completed form to 517-335-6169 (you may also use 517-335-6184 as a backup fax number). The telephone option also requires that you pay with Discover, MasterCard, or Visa, and you can only have the records mailed to the residence that the Secretary of State has on file. If you need a copy of your driving record sent somewhere other than the address the Secretary of State has on file for you, then your best bet may be to go into a branch office.
You can request a driving record at any branch office for $12. This may be the easiest way to get your driving record. You simply go into any branch office and request a copy of your driving record. You will need a sufficient form of identification such as a driver’s license or state identification card. They will print out your driving record of your choice at the front desk.
The record will have a list of your driving record listed chronologically with the most recent incidents and violations first.
There is a sample driving record with more information here.Here is a helpful chart of the number of driver license points each offense is worth in Michigan. Remember, points stay on your license for two years and then fall off.
Six points
Four Points
Two Points:
Contact us today for any questions about your driving record or about driver license restoration in Michigan. We are available 24/7 to answer any and all questions you may have. Call 1-800-677-9795 today to get more information or to set up a free consultation.