Pulling Your California Driving Record
California's driving record is officially the Driver Record Abstract. The DMV maintains it for every California licensee and makes copies available through MyDMV (online), by mail, and at any field office. Pulling your own record costs $5 and takes minutes.
The two main abstract types
H6 — 10-Year Driver Record
The H6 is the most commonly requested abstract. It includes the past 10 years of license activity: convictions, accidents, suspensions, points, and license-class changes. Used by most insurance companies, employers running motor-vehicle records, and individuals checking their own status. Available online through MyDMV for $5.
H8 — Employer-Pulled Record
The H8 is structurally similar to the H6 but is generated when an employer with an authorized DMV requester code pulls the record on a current or prospective employee. Covers the same 10-year window. The driver is generally notified through California's "Employer Pull Notice" (EPN) program.
How to order online (MyDMV)
Log into your California DMV MyDMV account, navigate to "Vehicle Records and Driver Records," and select "Driver Record." Pay the $5 fee with a debit/credit card. The PDF is available for download immediately. Save it locally — California's online portal limits how many times you can re-download a single record.
Mail and in-person options
Mail orders use Form INF 1125 ("Request for Your Own Driver License/Identification Card or Vehicle/Vessel Registration Information Record"), with a $5 check or money order. Allow 2-3 weeks. In-person orders at any California DMV field office are processed on the spot for the same $5 fee.
Disputing errors
If you find an error on your California driving record, file a dispute through the DMV's Driver Safety Branch. Common errors include duplicate entries (a single citation listed twice), wrong dispositions (a dismissed ticket showing as a conviction), and identity mix-ups with another driver of the same name. The dispute form requires:
- The specific entry being disputed.
- Court documentation of the actual disposition.
- Your full name, date of birth, and license number.
- A signed declaration under penalty of perjury.
Most disputes resolve within 60 days. If the DMV rejects the dispute, you can request an administrative hearing.
How long things stay
California driving record retention follows two timelines: a public-facing record visible to insurers and employers, and an internal DMV record that may be longer.
- Most non-criminal moving violations: 39 months (3.25 years) on the public record.
- DUI convictions: 10 years.
- Hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving with bodily injury: 10 years.
- Failure to appear / failure to pay: indefinitely until resolved.
- Internal DMV record: often retained for life, though older entries may be archived.
The Negligent Operator score
California's NOTS system runs in parallel with the standard record, awarding points for moving violations and at-fault accidents. The Negligent Operator score is the number that triggers warning letters, hearings, and suspensions. See our California point system page for the underlying mechanics.