Maryland Driving Records

A Maryland driving record (often called a "driver abstract" or "MVR") shows a driver's license history with the MVA — convictions, suspensions, license issuance dates, and current point total. Drivers, employers, insurance underwriters, and courts pull abstracts for different reasons, and Maryland offers two main lengths: 3-year and complete (lifetime).

What's on a Maryland driving record

A standard Maryland abstract includes:

• The driver's name, date of birth, address on file, and license number (the MVA-issued identifier).
• License class, endorsements (Class M motorcycle), and any restrictions.
• Issue date and expiration date of the current license.
• Active and historical suspensions, revocations, and reinstatements.
• Convictions for moving violations, criminal traffic offenses, and DUI/DWI within the abstract window.
• Active point total and the date each point was assigned.
• Any open hearings or scheduled court appearances tied to the license.

3-year vs. complete record

Maryland offers two abstract lengths:

• 3-year abstract — shows convictions, suspensions, and point activity from the last 3 years. The cheaper of the two, used most often by employers and insurance underwriters. Approximately $9.
• Complete record (lifetime) — shows the driver's full Maryland history from license issuance forward. Used for legal proceedings, CDL applications, and serious driving-related cases. Approximately $12-$20.

Some convictions and points fall off the 3-year abstract but remain on the complete record. The MVA also issues certified abstracts (with raised seal) for legal use, at a small additional fee.

How to request your record

Online (myMVA)

The fastest method. Log into myMVA with your driver's license number and personal verification details. You can immediately view a 3-year or complete abstract on screen, and download a PDF. The PDF is a non-certified copy; certified copies require an in-person request or a mailed form.

By mail (DR-090)

Complete DR-090 — Request for a Driver's Record — and mail it with the appropriate fee to the MVA at the address on the form. Processing typically takes 7-10 business days. The mailed abstract can be certified if you check the box and pay the certified-copy upcharge.

In person

Visit any MVA branch with photo ID and pay the fee. Certified abstracts are issued the same day. This is the only way to get a certified copy quickly.

Records pulled by employers

Many Maryland employers — especially trucking firms, delivery companies, and government agencies — pull driving records as part of hiring and ongoing employment. Maryland law requires the driver's written consent before an employer can pull an abstract. The consent is typically part of the standard hiring paperwork. Employers receive the abstract directly from the MVA via the Bulk Driver Record Reporting program for high-volume users.

Records pulled by insurance underwriters

Auto insurance carriers pull a driving record at policy initiation and at most renewals to recalculate premiums. The MVA does not require driver consent for insurance pulls — the consent is built into the application. Significant changes in driving record (a new ticket, a new at-fault accident, a DUI/DWI) can spike premiums or lead to a non-renewal. See Maryland car insurance.

Disputing an inaccurate record

If your Maryland driving record shows an incorrect entry — a conviction that was never adjudicated, a suspension that was lifted but not removed, or a point total that doesn't match the underlying convictions — you can dispute it through the MVA's Driver Records Division. Steps:

• Pull a fresh abstract and identify the specific incorrect entry.
• Gather supporting documents — court disposition, dismissal order, expungement paperwork.
• Submit a written dispute to the MVA's Driver Records Division at the address on the abstract or DR-090.
• The MVA verifies with the District Court of origin and updates the record within 4-8 weeks if the dispute is supported.

For point-related disputes that affect a current suspension, see Maryland point system and Maryland suspended license.

How long Maryland keeps records

Maryland's Department of Transportation retains driving records for the lifetime of the license, with most administrative actions visible on the complete abstract for at least 10 years. Specific point activity falls off the active-points calculation after 2 years (most violations) but may remain on the complete record for longer. DUI/DWI convictions remain on the complete record permanently — they cannot be expunged from the MVA database, even if the underlying criminal record is expunged by a court.

For the underlying point-system rules, see Maryland point system. For the impaired-driving framework, see Maryland DUI and DWI laws.