How to Check North Carolina Driver’s License Status

Why Check NC Driving Records?

NC Real ID sample.

You may need to check your North Carolina motor vehicle report for many different reasons. For example, you should check your driving record from time to time to make sure your data is accurate and up to date. The inaccurate information could have a negative impact on your driving privileges and your budget alike. That said, you need to fix errors on your report as soon as possible to save money on your car insurance and avoid losing your driving privileges.

How to check driving records in North Carolina? Simply order a DMV driving record online or by mail. Read on to learn more.

What Do North Carolina Driving Record Contains?

NC driving record sample.

Driving records are meant to be a genuine representation of driving history. North Carolina driving records include:

  • Address and name of the driver
  • The number of driver’s license
  • Status of driver’s license (expired, valid, suspended, revoked, etc.)
  • The expiry date of the license
  • Driver control actions
  • Vehicle-related offenses and convictions
  • Information on traffic wrecks

It should be noted that some of these details are prone to change over time because of license revocations, suspensions, convictions, or cancellations. No pending charges are visible on driving records.

Types of North Carolina Driving Records

  • Address history ($14 fee) – Residential address history. It can’t be obtained online.
  • Certified true copy ($15 fee) – This is the complete driver history. It is aimed for official use in the first place. Besides local, federal, and state courts, government agencies can also obtain certified true copies. While in-person requests are delivered the same day, online requests take up to two weeks to be received by mail.
  • Limited extract copy ($10.75 fee) – A 3-year driving history given for personal records. It can also be used by prospective employers and insurance companies. Note that these copies aren’t available for online purchase.
  • Complete extract copy ($10.75 fee) – Aside from being used for the driver’s personal records, it can be provided to prospective employers as well as insurance companies. The requests can be obtained online as PDF documents for download.

How to Request NC Driving Records

There are three ways of requesting NC driving records, including:

  • Personally at any NCDMV office
  • By mail
  • Online

In Person

In-person requests involve delivering the required documents to:

NCDMV Headquarters

4121 New Bern Ave.

Raleigh, NC 27616

The immediate issue is available for certified driving records.

By Mail

If you choose this method, you will need to send the completed forms to the mailing address stated on your documentation. They should be mailed along with payment so that your money order or check is payable to NCDMV.

From the time of receipt, your request will take up to ten business days to be processed. Make sure the forms are completed accurately and completely to avoid request returns or delays.

Online

If you are a requestor or license holder interested in ordering a driving record online, you will be required to have a valid ID card or driver’s license issued in North Carolina. Certified driving records will be sent to you by mail. Remember that your personal information can be disclosed in case certain entities request your driving record for a valid reason.

As a license holder, you’ll have to provide the following information when requesting a driving record online:

  • Your full name and date of birth
  • Social Security number
  • S. Visa number or ITIN
  • North Carolina ID or driver’s license number

Forms:

Form Description
Driver Privacy Protection Request DPPA-1 Form) Required for every driving record request
Driver Record Request Continuation Sheet (DL-DPPA-1A Form) Required to request more than 5 driving records at a time
Affidavit for Name Change (DL-101 Form) Required when changing your legal name
Driver Privacy Protection Act Authorization (DL-DPPA-2) in English; (DL-DPPA-2) in Spanish You will need this authorization if you want to release your driving record to a 3rd party

How Many Points Are On My NC Motor Vehicle Record?

It is always a good idea to keep tabs on your NC DMV driving history and know how many points are there on your motor vehicle report. That will cause you to act fast if your driving report should be fixed.

Infractions and points are displayed on North Carolina driving records as follows:

  • Reckless driving – 5 points
  • Following too closely (Tailgating) – 4 points
  • Exceeding a 55 mph speed limit – 3 points
  • Driving without insurance – 3 points
  • Improper restraining of children in a seat belt or car seat – 2 points

While you can gain insight into how many points are listed on your driving report at any time, the total number of points isn’t always correct. If there’s an error about the number of points, you need to go to the nearest NC DMV office at your earliest opportunity and solve it promptly with them.

How Do License Points Impact Drivers in North Carolina?

According to the NC DMV point system, your driver’s license will be suspended if you have seven or more points on it. In addition to getting higher insurance rates, you may have a hard time obtaining employment due to DMV license points. That will particularly affect you if your job involves sitting behind the wheel like delivery driving or commercial driving.

That’s why you need to be aware of your driver’s license points. If you want to get a North Carolina driver’s abstract, request a copy of your driving record by filling out this form online.

How to Get Points Removed From My NC Driver’s License

You are advised to take a driver improvement course to remove some DMV points from your driving record. After completing this course, there will be 3 fewer points on your license. As a North Carolina motorist, you’re capable of requesting the removal of license points once every 5 years. Take advantage of this opportunity!

2 thoughts on “How to Check North Carolina Driver’s License Status”

  1. Hello, I am in Poland and I need verification that my North Carolina driver’s license is valid. Can you send me information on how I can get this?

    Reply
  2. This is a great post! I have been trying to find a way to check my driver’s license status for free, and this is the best advice I have found. Thank you!

    Reply
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