If you have a lead foot or think stop signs and red lights are for other drivers, chances are you’ve had some moving violations in the past three years. Any idea how many? Or do they just sort of blur together? Each moving violation you are convicted of is awarded points, but those points won’t get you a free cheeseburger or a complimentary trip to the bowling alley. No, these points are demerits against your license, and if you get more than 200 of them within a three-year period, you’re looking at a license suspension and a stack of fines. Nervous yet? You should be!
Why You Need to Check Your Driving Record
Checking your Utah driving record periodically is a good idea for several reasons. First, it’s important to know where you stand point-wise so that you can make smart decisions behind the wheel to avoid losing your license altogether. Two hundred points may seem like a lot, but considering that a speeding ticket can earn you up to 75 points and running a stop sign is worth 50, you can see that they add up fast.
Secondly, you’ll want to make sure that all of the information on your driving history is accurate. Even if you’ve never had a moving violation, it’s a good idea to make sure your record is clean and accurate. Mistakes are rare, but they do occur, and they can cost you if you don’t get them corrected.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll want to see what potential employers and your car insurance company will see when they check your Utah driving record.
Employers will do it as part of a standard background check and to ensure you won’t run up repair bills on the company car or injure someone in your car on company time. Insurance companies use your driving record as part of their risk assessment process.
If they see that you have little regard for traffic laws, you’re going to be paying a lot more for insurance than you might expect.
The Utah Driving Record Points System
The Utah Driver License Division (DLD) monitors the points being added to your driving records. But how do points get added to your record?
Your Utah driver record will include the number of points you have accrued for traffic violations. It starts at zero when you first get your license.
Every time you violate a traffic rule, points will be added according to the corresponding point value of your offense.
If you have accumulated a specific number of points, it may result in license suspension or other penalties, depending on whether you are a minor or an adult.
If you’re under 21 years old, your license will be suspended for 1 month to 3 years if you’ve accumulated 70 points or more within 3 years.
For adult drivers, getting 200 points within the same period will mean 3 months to 1 year of license suspension.
To give you an idea, here’s a list of the violations and the number of points assigned to each offense in Utah.
For the full list of traffic points per violation, check Utah Driver License Division’s point system page.
Note that if you have accrued many violations, depending on the circumstances, your judge may label the violation as either one of the following:
- Minimized violation – this will reduce your point total by 10%
- Maximized violation – this will increase the point total by 10%
- Intermediate – this will not have any impact on your point total.
Ordering Your Utah Driving Record is Easy
There are three ways you can order your driving record. You can either mail in a request and wait a couple of weeks to get it in the mail, or you can get it on the spot by either ordering it online or going straight to the source in person at one of the Drivers License Division Offices.
Order Your Driving Record Online
To order online from the Utah government website, your driver’s license information must match the information on your credit or debit card. Otherwise, you’ll need to order in person or by mail, or go through a third-party provider like Inteligator.
To order online through the government website, go to the Online Request Form and fill it out with your name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number and issue date, and the last four digits of your social security number. If you don’t have a social security number, simply check the box to that effect. Hit submit, pay the fee with your credit or debit card, and you’re done. Easy peasy.
Order Your Driving Record by Mail
If you prefer to mail in your request, you’ll need to download and fill out Form DLD60m and have it notarized to ensure you are who you say you are.
Contact your bank to see if they offer notary services, which most do.
Enclose a personal check for $6, made payable to the Utah Department of Public Safety, and mail it to:
Department of Public Safety
Driver License Division
P.O. Box 144501
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4501
Allow a couple of weeks for delivery.
Order Your Driving Record In Person
To order your history in person and get it on the spot, visit one of the many Drivers License Division Offices around the state.
There, you’ll fill out Form DLD60, which you can also download and fill out ahead of time to speed up the process.
The fee is $6, which you can pay in cash, with a check, or by using your credit or debit card.
Need a Certified Copy of Your Driving History?
If you need a certified copy of your Utah driving record for any reason, you’ll have to order it in person. Certified copies cost $10.75, and it will take a couple of weeks to get them in the mail.
For a certified copy, you’ll need to fill out Form DLD226 in addition to the standard in-person Form DLD60.
Take the forms to the Administrative Office, located in Salt Lake City at 4501 S 2700 W, and go to the third floor.
If you have questions about your Utah driving history or need to make corrections, call 801-965-4437 or 888-353-4224.