Massachusetts Driving Records — Standard, Certified & Attested

Massachusetts Driving Records

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A Massachusetts driving record — the official record of license status, surchargeable incidents, accidents, and convictions kept by the Mass RMV — is one of the most-requested documents in the Commonwealth. Insurance carriers pull them automatically through SDIP. Employers running a CDL or fleet operation request them annually. And drivers themselves often pull a copy to verify status before a job application, an insurance shop, or a court appearance. Mass RMV records come in three flavors with different uses and different fees.

Three types of Mass RMV driving records

  • Standard driving record — the basic record showing license status, current address, and the previous 5 years of surchargeable incidents and convictions. Used for personal review, casual employer checks, and insurance shopping. Available through myRMV for $8.
  • Certified driving record — the same record certified by the Mass RMV's seal, accepted by courts, employers, and out-of-state DMVs. Used for court matters, CDL employment verification, and out-of-state license transfers. $20, mailed in 2-3 weeks or available in person at most service centers.
  • Attested driving record — a certified record with a notarized cover letter from the Mass RMV's Records Division, accepted under federal-court rules and for international license-conversion purposes. $25, available in person at the Quincy headquarters or by mail with 4-6 week turnaround.

What appears on the record

A Massachusetts driving record includes:

  • Current license status (Active, Suspended, Revoked, Expired).
  • License class, endorsements, and restrictions (corrective lenses, motorcycle, etc.).
  • Issue and expiration dates.
  • The 6-year history of surchargeable incidents tracked under the SDIP — at-fault crashes, moving-violation convictions, and OUI surcharges.
  • Any administrative actions: suspensions, revocations, hardship licenses, IID requirements, Driver Retraining Program completion.
  • Out-of-state convictions reported to Mass RMV through the Driver License Compact.
  • Any open holds (excise tax, parking tickets, child support, FTA).

The Mass RMV record does not include parking-ticket history, civil traffic infractions cleared by the issuing court, or non-driving criminal history — those live in CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information), which is a separate state record.

Retention periods

Massachusetts retains entries on a driving record for varying lengths:

  • Surchargeable incidents: 6 years from the date of the incident for SDIP rating purposes (then drop off).
  • Moving-violation convictions: 6 years on the surcharge calculation, but the conviction itself remains visible on certified records for longer.
  • OUI convictions: permanently visible on certified Mass RMV records — Massachusetts does not seal or expunge OUI history.
  • Vehicular homicide: permanently retained.
  • Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO) declarations: permanently retained for the offender's full driving history.

How to pull your own record

  1. Log into myRMV with your Mass RMV-issued license number, date of birth, and last four of SSN.
  2. Navigate to "Driving Record" and select the type (standard, certified, attested).
  3. Pay by credit card or e-check.
  4. Standard records are emailed instantly as a PDF; certified and attested copies are mailed.

Pulling a record on someone else

Massachusetts limits third-party access to driving records under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Permitted uses include insurance underwriting, employer verification (with a signed release), litigation discovery, and government function. Form RMV-DPPA must accompany the request, naming the permissible purpose. Unauthorized retrieval is a federal offense; Massachusetts logs every record pull and the recipient's stated reason.

Disputing an error on your record

If your Mass RMV driving record contains an inaccurate surcharge, conviction, or status notation, file a written dispute with the RMV Records Branch at the Quincy headquarters. The dispute process:

  1. Identify the specific entry in error and gather supporting documentation (court disposition, dismissed-citation paperwork, dismissal letter).
  2. Mail the documentation to the RMV Records Branch with a written request to correct.
  3. The RMV reviews and notifies you in writing within 30-45 days.
  4. If the dispute is denied, you can appeal to the Board of Appeal at the Division of Insurance, with a $50 filing fee.

Insurance and your record

Your record drives your auto-insurance rate through the SDIP framework. Insurers pull a fresh record at every renewal and at every new-policy quote. Surchargeable incidents push your rate up under a state-set surcharge schedule — see surchargeable incidents for the full SDIP mechanics. If you're shopping a new Mass policy, pull your own standard record first; it's the same data the carriers see, and it lets you verify everything is accurate before they price you.

For employers running an annual MVR pull on drivers (CDL operations or fleet vehicles), the certified record is the right choice. The DPPA-stamped envelope from the Mass RMV is accepted by every fleet-management vendor and insurance carrier in Massachusetts. See the Mass RMV hub for the Records Branch contact details.

Official sources

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