Texas Driving Records
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) sells five different abstracts of your driving record, each with a specific use case. Pulling the right type matters: an employer asking for a "driving history" usually wants a Type 2A, but an insurer's quote may only need a Type 3A, and the difference is dollars and what's printed on the page.
The five record types
| Type | Contents | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | License status only — current/expired/suspended. | $4.50 |
| Type 2 | List of accidents and convictions on the Texas record. | $6.50 |
| Type 2A | Same as Type 2 but certified for court or government use. | $10.50 |
| Type 3 | Type 2 plus original date of license issuance, plus CDL. | $7.50 |
| Type 3A | Same as Type 3 but certified for court or government use. | $11.50 |
A sixth option, the Type AR, is the certified abstract used in litigation and by attorneys; it costs $22 and includes accident reports.
Online order through Texas.gov
The fastest way is the official Texas.gov driver record portal. You'll need your Texas driver license number, date of birth, audit number from the back of your card, and a credit card. Most orders are emailed as a downloadable PDF within 1-2 hours; certified abstracts (Type 2A and 3A) are mailed in 5-10 business days. Online orders carry a small portal convenience fee on top of the DPS charge.
By mail
Drivers can complete Form DR-1 (Driver Record Request) and mail it with a check or money order to DPS in Austin. Mail orders take 2-3 weeks to process. Form DR-1 is also the form an authorized employer or insurer uses to request a driver record, but third-party requests require the driver's signed authorization on Form DR-1A.
In person
DPS offices generally don't sell driver records over the counter, but some Mega Centers do. The county tax office never handles driver records — only TxDMV/county business goes there. Plan on the online or mail route.
What's on a Texas record
The record shows convictions for moving violations from Texas courts, court-ordered Defensive Driving Course (DDC) dismissals (which appear on Type 3 but not Type 2), at-fault accident reports filed by police, and any administrative actions like suspensions or denials. Out-of-state convictions reported to Texas via the Driver License Compact (every state but five) also appear. Older records continue to show convictions long after they would have decayed in a points-based state, because Texas does not run a numeric point system — see Texas driving record system.
Insurance and employer use
Auto insurers in Texas typically pull a Type 3A or use the TexasSure verified data feed for underwriting. Employer driving record checks for non-CDL roles usually want a Type 2A; for CDL roles, federal regulations require a Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) report from FMCSA in addition to the Texas Type 3A. See Texas car insurance for what underwriters do with the record.
Disputing a record
If a conviction or accident on your record is incorrect, the dispute path depends on the source. Court-reported convictions are corrected by going back to the issuing court — a justice or municipal court must send DPS a corrected disposition before the record will change. Out-of-state errors are corrected through that state's licensing authority, then re-reported to Texas. Internal DPS errors (like an incorrect date of birth or license class) can be corrected through DPS Customer Operations. Most dispute resolutions take 30-90 days.
How long entries remain
Texas keeps moving violation convictions on the public-facing record indefinitely on the Type 2 abstract, although insurers usually stop pricing them after 3 years and most employer screens look back 5-7 years. DWI and CDL-related convictions remain on the record permanently for FMCSA reporting purposes — see Texas DWI laws.