Discover How Long Things Stay on Your Driving Record

I was in an accident three years ago and I have been paying higher insurance rates as a consequence. How long will this stay on my record and affect my premiums?

Just like your credit report, which is a collection of information on how your relationships with prior and current lenders have gone, all states in the United States also keep a driving record with a similar principle. Instead of being a collection of marks and remarks from any number of creditors, however, your driving record can only be amended or changed by the state and only when you are involved in a legal infraction, accident or other issue.

If you get a ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign, for example, in most states that will be reported to your state’s department of motor vehicles or DMV. Your DMV will then make a mark on your driving record noting the offense and may, depending on the state, take further actions based on your previous record and the seriousness of the current incident. Most stats work on a point-based system for driving records. Points are similar to demerits and the system is designed to discourage reckless behavior by those who do not concern themselves with mere financial penalties for tickets. Receive enough points on your driving record and your license to drive may be suspended or possibly even revoked. All of the information on your driving record is made available to auto insurance companies when they request it to write you a policy or if they need to update it. In most states, infractions on your driving record are automatically reported to your insurance company for you – as a courtesy…

How Long Will Infractions Hurt My Record?

The one silver lining in this otherwise dark cloud is that, like your credit report, things will not stay on your driving record forever. How long a particular infraction will remain on your record and visible to insurance companies and other interested agencies depends on two factors: the state you live in and the nature of the infraction.

• Your State: Different states have different rules regarding how long infractions remain on your driving record. Again, most states will automatically report new infractions to your insurance company, allowing your insurance company to take whatever corrective or punitive action they deem necessary such as raising your rates or perhaps canceling your policy.
• The Infraction: An average time among the states for an item to remain on your driving record is about 3 years for simple, 1 point infractions like failing to stop at a stop sign, 5 to 7 years for more serious infractions like speeding, and 10 years or more for extreme or felony issues like hit and run, or being 100% at fault in a car accident or driving while intoxicated.