Driver Records and Clearance Letters FAQs

Our records are maintained in accordance with State and Federal law, which includes the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the requirements of the Federal Trade Commission.

Driving records provided by the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles reflect previous Colorado driver license, permit and ID history. Driving records are available for the previous seven years or for the full history of the driver. Records must include a minimum of seven years of data and cannot be limited to a shorter time frame.

The “seven year” record will go back seven years from date of request and will include:

• Driver information (includes current address listed with DMV)
• License/ID status
• Credential history
• Tickets and traffic convictions
• Reinstatement requirement
• Withdrawals such as cancellations, suspensions, and revocations
• Administrative stops

The “full history” record will include:

• Driver information (includes current address listed with DMV)
• License/ID status
• Commercial (CDL) status
• Credential history
• Tickets and traffic convictions
• Reinstatement requirement
• Withdrawals such as cancellations, suspensions, and revocations
• Administrative stops

This activity includes things like:

• Tickets and traffic convictions
• Withdrawals such as (Cancellations, Suspensions, and Revocations)
• License ID status
• Administrative stops

You can get a copy of your driving record in three different ways:

Online:

To request a non-certified or certified copy online, click here: Request a Driving Record.

Non-certified copies: These copies are emailed to you within 24 hours. Check your spam/junk mail folder if you don’t see it. (Attorney requests may take up to 2 business days.) 

Certified copies: These copies are MVR records stamped with a certification stamp from the DMV verifying their authenticity. These copies can only be sent to the requestor's mailing address, and typically take two business days to process.   

By Mail:

Please ensure that you complete all fields in the form DR 2559 Permission for Release of Individual Records.You can find this form on our Forms Library page. Mail the completed forms to: Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 173350 Denver, CO 80217-3350 along with a check or money order for the applicable fee. It could take 10 to 14 business days after the request is received before the motor vehicle record is mailed out to the requestor. USPS delivery services vary by location or territory, check with local area USPS delivery times.

Written requests must include:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Driver license number (if available)
• Complete and legible original signature of driver

In Office:
You may go into a driver license office with a completed form DR 2559 Permission for Release of Individual Records. You can find this form on our Forms Library page. 

• A complete legible signature is required on the request.
• Please specify whether you want a certified or non-certified copy of the driving record.
• We accept credit cards, cash, checks or money orders for the applicable fee. Find more information on the state DMV fees webpage.

While certified and non-certified motor vehicle records may be purchased at any full-service driver license office, customers are welcome to make an appointment or do same day walk-ins at the Westgate Driver License Office. Please go to our appointment scheduling page, select Westgate location and Driver Records to make your appointment.

Make an appointment at the Westgate Office, select Driver Records. You can schedule your appointment here: Welcome to the Appointment Scheduling Information Page.

If you are requesting the driving record of another individual, federal and Colorado privacy laws apply. Your request is subject to the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), a federal law that restricts public access to personal information held in motor vehicle records and §24-72-204 (7)(a) and (b) C.R.S.

What is the DPPA?

The DPPA (18 U.S.C. § 2721) prohibits the disclosure of "personal information" from a driver's motor vehicle record without that individual's express consent.

Personal information protected by the DPPA includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Name
• Address
• Driver identification number (license number)
• Photograph or digital image
• Social Security number
• Telephone number
• Information on medical conditions or disabilities

This law means you cannot access someone else's personal information from their driving record unless you have their written consent or your request falls under one of the specific "permissible uses" defined by the law.

Permissible Uses Under the DPPA

You may only access another person's driving record if your reason for doing so is one of the legally defined exceptions. You will be required to certify, under penalty of law, that your request meets one of these permissible uses.

While not a complete list, common permissible uses include:

• For use by government agencies: Any federal, state, or local government agency carrying out its official functions.
• Court or legal proceedings: In connection with any civil, criminal, administrative, or arbitral proceeding.
• Insurance purposes: By an insurer or insurance support organization in connection with claims investigation, anti-fraud activities, rating, or underwriting.
• Employment: For use by an employer (or its agent) to verify information for a commercial driver's license (CDL) holder as required by federal law.
• With written consent: If you have obtained the express, written consent of the person whose record you are requesting.
• Business verification: For use by a legitimate business to verify the accuracy of information submitted by an individual or to prevent fraud.
• Safety and recalls: For use in matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, including product alterations, recalls, or advisories.

Note: Misrepresenting your reason for requesting a record can result in significant legal and financial penalties.

How to Make a Request: Forms and Requirements

To request another person's driving record, you must:

• Obtain written consent:
  • You must submit form DR 2559- Permission to Release Driver Records to Self or Another Person from our Forms Library webpage here.  The DR 2559 form must have the signature of the person in interest authorizing you to inspect their driving record.
• Other Permissible Uses:
  • Submit form DR 2489- Driver Record Search Requestor Release which includes form DR 2478- Statement of Fact from our Forms Library webpage here. The DR 2478 form is found at the bottom of the DR 2489 form and requires you explain the permissible use you have designated. The Statement of Fact form is required except for the following uses:
    • By a government agency, including any court or law enforcement agency performing its functions for an approved purpose under D P P A.
    • By an employer/agent or insurer of a Commercial Driver’s License holder. (C D L I S or C M V record)
• Pay applicable fees: State DMV fees  
• Submit the forms:
  • Mail the completed forms to the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 173350 Denver, CO 80217-3350.
  • Make an appointment at the Westgate Office, select Driver Records. You can schedule your appointment here: Welcome to the Appointment Scheduling Information Page.
    • Note: Driver License Offices provide only personal driving record information. Crash and other records and/or other requests are available only at 3265 S. Wadsworth Blvd. #3A, Lakewood, CO 80027.

Ensure you download and complete the most current version of the form and follow all instructions carefully, including any requirements for notarization or submission of fees.

You can find these forms in our Forms Library.

• DR 2489- Driver Record Search Requestor Release form DR 2489 along with the DR 2478 Statement of Fact
• DR 2559- Permission to Release Driver Records to Self or Another Person form

For additional information, please visit our Driver Records- Frequently Asked Questions page or you can complete the Information Request for a Motor Vehicle Record web form.

The DMV cannot modify or change information on a driving record without a court order.

You can find information about Reporting a Crash and Obtaining a Crash Record here.

A “Letter of Clearance” (also called a “No Match Clearance Letter”) is a document that certifies that the person in question is not under restraint of driving privileges in Colorado, and is not the same person as someone of a similar name who is under restraint."

To request a Letter of Clearance, submit the DR 2275 Request for an Out-of-State No Match/Clearance Letter to include the following:

• DR 2275 filled out with all appropriate signatures in all appropriate sections
• A typed letter with an explanation of the circumstances for which they need a Letter of Clearance. (Indicate whether they have ever been to/a resident of Colorado, etc.)
• Last 4 digits of their Social Security Number
• Full name
• Date of birth
• Driver License Number (if available)
• Complete and legible original signature of driver Photocopy of driver photo ID bearing signature (both sides)
• Return address and contact phone number/email
• Appropriate fee

Mail to:

Department of Revenue
Driver Control Section
P.O. Box 173345
Denver, CO 80217-3345

Privacy laws prevent us from providing you with a driving record other than your own without that person's permission. If you are requesting a record as an employer or because of a pending court case, you may be permitted to receive the record based upon the criteria of the Driver Record Search Requestor Release form DR 2489 . This form may be printed from our website and submitted with the appropriate fee.

Additional forms which may be helpful include:

• DR 2478 Driver Record Statement of Fact Form
• DR 2559 Permission for Release of Driver Records to Self or Another Person

Identify your eligibility date (communicated at the hearing or via mail) and specific reinstatement requirements. If you are unable to locate this information, call Customer Service at 303-205-5613. The following suspensions and revocations can be reinstated at certain Full Service Driver License offices (requirements are listed below suspensions):

• Paid receipt from the court
• $95.00 reinstatement fee
• New license and fee required

• Compliance received by DMV from child support agency
• $95.00 reinstatement fee

Point Suspensions

• Period of suspension complete
• Evidence of current liability insurance with your name on the policy
• $95.00 reinstatement fee
• You will be required to take the written test.

For mail in applications, complete the Application for Reinstatement (Form DR 2870). Mail the completed application, check or money order for $95 and specific requirements (for example: evidence of insurance, SR22, etc.) to the address noted on the application. You must clearly write your name and date of birth on the coupon when paying by money order. Whenever possible, mail this information approximately thirty-sixty days before your eligibility date. This allows us to complete your request in a timely manner. Allow up to twenty business days (after mailing) for us to complete your application before contacting our office. Once we verify that all the necessary information has been received and we have completed processing the application, we will mail a Letter of Clearance to the address you listed on the application.

Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC) which means the state of Colorado and most of the states in the United States belong to a compact. If you receive a ticket in a state that is not your state of residency and you fail to pay the fine, the state where you received the ticket will notify your home state. Your home state will suspend your driver license until the ticket has been paid.

To clear a Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC) Suspension you will need to pay the fine for the ticket to the court. Once the fine is paid, you will need to forward an NRVC compliance statement from the court that issued the NRVC. This can be provided online at mydmv.colorado.gov. Click on Driver/ID Services, and then upload the form using the “View/upload reinstatement documents” link. Additionally, a reinstatement fee needs to be paid—which can be done via the “Pay a reinstatement fee” link on the same page.

Alternatively, you may take a completed Application for Reinstatement (Form DR 2870), NRVC Compliance Statement and reinstatement fee to 1351 5th St. Suite 100 Denver, CO 80204; or mail that information to the address at the top of the form. 

An Outstanding Judgment Warrant (OJW) is issued when a fee or other requirements are outstanding with the court. OJWs incurred after 12/31/2021 must be paid to the court. DMV does not have access to those records. For OJW's incurred prior to 2022, the OJW is put on your driving record, and may have resulted in the cancellation of driving privileges. Reinstatement can be accomplished by paying the reinstatement fee. This can be paid online at MyDMV. Click on the Driver/ID Services tab and use the link for "Pay a Reinstatement Fee."

All evidence packets submitted to the Department by law enforcement agencies in support of per se/express consent cases are scanned and stored electronically. Once a hearing request is granted, a courtesy copy of the documents is mailed to the party that requested the hearing. There is no charge for this copy. At the hearing, the Hearing Officer reviews the scanned electronic duplicate of these same documents. The paper originals are no longer provided to the Hearings Division.

Two separate processes are involved. When a hearing is requested, Driver Control sends a copy of the documents received (the evidence packet) to the party that submitted the request. In addition, Driver Control notifies the Hearings Division that a hearing has been granted and needs to be scheduled. The scheduling doesn't occur for several weeks. Once Hearings sets the date, a notice indicating the date, time and location (or telephone number) for the hearing will be mailed to the same address. However, this is a separate letter, and will most likely arrive a few weeks after the evidence packet.

There should be no difference. When they are received by the Department, the "original" documents are scanned. The copy (evidence packet) issued to the party that requests the Hearing is a print of the scanned documents. When the hearing is held, the Hearing Officer will be viewing the scanned documents electronically. As a result, no difference should exist between the documents received by the Department, the copy issued to the party requesting the hearing, or the electronic documents used by the Hearing Officer to conduct the hearing.

If you wish to compare the originals on file with the Department to the copies sent to you as a result of a hearing request, you can fax or mail the Original Document Review Form to Driver Control. The Department will contact you within five business days of receipt of the request to schedule the review. Once scheduled, a confirmation of the date and time will be sent by fax, e-mail, or regular mail. The scanned originals can be reviewed only at the DMV office located at 1351 5th St. Suite 100 Denver, CO 80204.

The original documents reside with Driver Control, and are not provided to the Hearings Division. If you make your request during the hearing, the Hearing Officer will provide you with a copy of the Original Document Review Form. You can also request a copy via fax by calling 303-205-5792. You will need to contact Driver Control as indicated on the form. The hearing will continue as scheduled, but you will have the opportunity to notify the Hearing Officer if any discrepancies are noted in the comparison. The thirty-day time for appeal of the Hearing Officer's decision is not tolled, so you will want to request the review as quickly as possible.

By statute, Driver Control is the Custodian of Records for the Department of Revenue. As discussed above, the original documents filed by law enforcement agencies in support of per se/express consent cases will be scanned and thereafter stored electronically. The originals will be maintained by Driver Control for ninety days, in part to allow for comparison with copies by Respondents and/or their attorneys. To guarantee the integrity of the originals, a representative of Driver Control will be present when the reviews occur.

Download the DR 2664 Per Se / Express Consent Document Request form. Follow the instructions on the form. At this time no additional fee is being charged, however, it is possible that in the future the Department may be required to charge the statutorily permitted Driving Record fee.

Yes, although, because the documents contain privacy protected information, the Department will need to receive authorization in writing from either you or your attorney before this can occur. Such authorization must indicate the name and date of birth of the third party, and must be signed and dated by you or your attorney. Authorizations from attorneys must be on letterhead. An authorization can be faxed to 303-205-5960 or dropped off at 1351 5th St. Suite 100 Denver, CO. 80204. You must provide the written authorization to the Department no fewer than two business days before the review is to be completed.

The Hearings Division can be reached by calling 303-205-5606.

There are circumstances where the court may not order you to take alcohol classes but the state will as a requirement for reinstatement. Colorado statutes require these classes for certain types of revocations. For more information on alcohol classes, download the DR 2840 Level I and Level II Courses Brochure.

An SR-22 is a rider to an insurance policy in which the insurance company guarantees that you will keep insurance in effect for a certain period of time. In order to get your license back after having certain suspensions or revocations or to keep from getting your license suspended you may have to file the SR-22. When you purchase liability insurance, the insurance agent can provide the SR-22 form. When the insurance policy with the SR-22 rider is purchased, the form is filed with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles. The form is not an insurance policy. The form is a guarantee by the insurance company that you will keep the insurance in effect for a certain period. If you don't keep the SR-22 current, the insurance company will notify the Motor Vehicle Division. Once the Motor Vehicle Division has been notified that the SR-22 is no longer in effect, but is still required, Motor Vehicle will suspend your license for that reason alone. If you decide to change insurance companies, you need to get a new SR-22 filed before the old one goes out of effect.

There are several reasons that the State may require you to come in and take a re-examination. When you have two accidents on your record within three years of each other, we will ask you to take a re-examination. You may also be asked to take a re-examination if a family member or doctor feels, for medical reasons, you should take a re-examination. A law enforcement officer may also file an incident report requesting that you take a re-examination.

Please visit the Request A Retest page for more information.

Re-examinations cannot be extended unless requested by a doctor. The doctor must provide, on letterhead, the reason for the extension and the length of the extension. If the extension time period is to be longer than two weeks from the original time request then the restraint will go into effect. When the driver is able to take and pass the re-examination on the first attempt, the action will be rescinded.

A probationary driver license is a license to drive, for limited purposes, usually driving to and from the place of employment or to perform duties in the course of employment, during the term of a license suspension. A driving privilege for Commercial Vehicles is not granted.

A probationary license is usually granted for persons with a points suspension or a child support suspension. All tickets must be paid prior to the issuance of any probationary license. At the time of your hearing you will need to speak to your hearing officer about the issuance of a probationary driver license. If you are under suspension and have not had a hearing you will need to contact the hearing section at 303-205-5606 and request a hearing. If you have a Child Support suspension you may be granted a probationary license. This license will be valid for ninety days and will be for work related purposes. You must bring with you a letter of employment, evidence of insurance, surrender you regular license and pay the fee of $6.00. You may not be under any other current restraint action.

If you are stopped by a law enforcement officer, and you are outside of your restrictions, the officer will confiscate the license for violating the terms of the license. By law a probationary license can also be taken away from someone if they get any ticket while on the probationary license. Once the license is confiscated, or you receive a ticket, the probationary driver license will be cancelled and you will not be able to drive for the duration of your suspension.

See list for a list of the most common revocations requiring an Ignition Interlock. For additional information, call Customer Service at 303 205-5613.

Yes, you must have the Ignition Interlock installed on every vehicle you own, co-own or have access to operate.

After you have confirmed your eligibility to reinstate and that an Ignition Interlock is part of your reinstatement requirements, contact an approved vendor for pricing, locations and what to bring. Once you have selected a vendor, have the Interlock installed and obtain the following:

• Restricted License Ignition Interlock Agreement Affidavit DR 2058
• Installation Certificate and Lease Agreement (issued by the Interlock provider)
• Application for Reinstatement (Form DR 2870)
• Payment amounts indicated on the form (check or money order made payable to Department of Revenue)
• SR22 from your insurance company
• Required Education Documentation:
  • Required Alcohol and Drug Education document Certificate (form DR 2598)
  • or Discharge Referral Summary (DRS) for a Level II Education and Treatment program showing completion of courses
  • or an Affidavit of Enrollment (form DR 2643)

Note: The Certificate or DRS requirement is determined by the associated BAC or the number of alcohol violations on your record (Multiple offenders or BAC of 0.15, and above requires Level II DRS or Affidavit of Enrollment). When possible, you should provide the complete set of documents together to ensure that your reinstatement is processed in a timely manner. Allow up to twenty business days for your reinstatement to be completed. A letter will be mailed to the address on your application confirming that your reinstatement is complete and that you can contact a Driver License office to schedule your written and drive test in your Ignition Interlock equipped vehicle.

Contact your nearest full service Driver License Office to schedule your written and road test. Please see the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Education brochure (DR 2840).

Contact your nearest full service Driver License Office to purchase an Unrestricted License. You can contact your Interlock provider and request removal of the device after receiving your Unrestricted License.

Once this condition is met, the Department will send confirmation by mail with instructions on receiving your Unrestricted License.