In Michigan, you can request your driving record in 4 different ways:
By mail
By telephone
Online
In-person
It is recommended to check your driving record at least every three years to determine how many traffic points you’ve accumulated, if there is any wrong information, etc...
What’s more, reviewing your driving record will ensure that you still have your driving privileges intact. Also, you will be able to determine if your driver’s license is suspended or active and all that.
So as you can see, it’s important to order your Michigan driving record every now and then.
But how do you get hold of that?
Here, we’re going to give you a 2023 guide on how to get a driving record in Michigan.
Let’s begin!
What are the Types of Driving Records in Michigan?
There are three types of driving records that you can request in Michigan:
Certified Complete Record - This is the complete driving record and is often requested by an attorney for court or administrative purposes.
Certified Edited Record - This is often requested for employment purposes
Certified CDL Edited Record - If an employer needs proof that you have complied with the requirements of a federal Commercial Driver License.
How to Request a Driving Record in Michigan
As we said, you can request a Michigan driving record in 4 ways:
By mail
By telephone
Online
In-person
Let’s look at each one.
To request your driving record through mail, complete the Record Lookup Request Form. If you have any questions or clarifications in completing the form, contact (517) 335-6198 during business hours.
Once completed, mail the form together with an $11-$12 (depending on the record type) money order or check payable to “State of Michigan” to the following address:
Michigan Department of State
Record Sales Unit
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918-1502
Telephone
If you’re going to request your Michigan driving record through telephone, simply call (517) 322-1624 during business hours. Prepare your driver’s license number, personal information, and credit card for the driving record request fee.
In-Person
To get your driving record in person, visit any Secretary of State branch office in Michigan.
The fee for a certified copy of your driving record is $12 and a processing fee will be charged as well. You can use a credit card, debit card, cash, checks, and money orders for the payment.
You don’t need to bring any form, just your driver’s license and you’re good to go.
The best thing about in-person is that your driving record will be given on the same day.
Online
You can now request your Michigan driving record online!
Simply visit the Michigan Department of State website, log in (or create an account), and follow the instruction.
To make it even more convenient, you’ll be able to view your driving record immediately.
Driving Record Points in Michigan
Drivers often request a copy of their Michigan driving record to check the number of points they have in their record. These points correlate to traffic infractions or violations that you were convicted of.
You can get between 2 to 6 traffic points depending on the type of violation that you committed.
This is the DMV point system in Michigan:
6 Points: felony using a motor vehicle, DWI offense, reckless driving, fleeing a police officer
4 points: Drag racing or driving while visually impaired, DWI offense if younger than 21 years old, speeding at 16 mph over the speed limit
3 points: Speeding to 11 - 15 mph over the speed limit, disobeying traffic signals, failure to stop at school crossings
2 points: Minor moving violations, speeding at 10 mph or less over the speed limit
If you have accumulated a total of 12 points in 2 years, your driving license may be suspended or revoked.
Improve Your Michigan Driving Record with an Online Traffic School
If you have accumulated a lot of points, you may be called for a reassessment of your driving skills. This means that you will need to enroll in a Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) to relearn safe driving techniques, road rules, etc...
Not only that, but this course can even remove existing points. However, you can only take the BDIC once.
Also, keep in mind that you can only take the BDIC once you receive a notice from the Secretary of State.
As for defensive driving courses, you can take that to dismiss traffic tickets (to avoid points being added to your driving record) and lower auto insurance rates.
Note: before that, you should always ask permission from your court handler and/or auto insurance provider if they will accept defensive driving courses.
Now, you can take both courses in person or online.
Most drivers prefer an online traffic school for the sake of convenience. This is why, here, we’ll only recommend the best online traffic schools.
iDriveSafely
iDriveSafely offers state-approved BDIC and defensive driving courses.
The courses are quick and easy to understand. Interactive graphics and animations are used to better demonstrate the Michigan traffic laws and rules, driving techniques, and safe driving procedures.
What's more, you won’t need to go through the hassle of mailing your certificate, because they will report it directly to the Michigan Secretary of State before the ticket dismissal deadline.
MyImprov is another state-approved online traffic school.
They offer one of the most entertaining course curriculums out there. This is because they use humor to teach you about road safety.
And since it’s so engaging, you’ll be finished with their course in no time.
Aside from that, after you finish the course, the Michigan Department of State will be notified. If you’re taking the insurance reduction course, you can download the certificate within 30 minutes.
Conclusion
Getting a copy of your driving record in Michigan can be done in several ways - here’s a quick recap:
- Through Mail: complete the Record Lookup Request Form and mailing it together with your payment to the Michigan Department of State, Record Sales Unit, 7064 Crowner Drive, Lansing, MI 48918-1502.
- By Telephone: call (517) 322-1624 to request a driving record.
- In-Person: visit any Secretary of State branch office in Michigan.
- Online: visit the Michigan Department of State website, log in, and follow the instructions.
If you receive a notice from the Secretary of State, you can take the Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) to remove points and violations from your driving record. You can only take it once so better take the course from reliable schools like iDriveSafely and MyImprov.