Order and Understand a South Carolina Driving Record

Select the record that answers your question

South Carolina provides more than one way to inspect driving information. The driving-record page offers a free online points summary and paid three-year or ten-year histories. A points summary is useful when you want the current number assessed under the traffic-point system. A fuller history is appropriate when an employer, insurer, licensing agency, or other authorized recipient needs the underlying record over a stated period. Ask the recipient which period and document it needs before ordering.

A driving history is also different from a collision report or a copy of a particular ticket or suspension notice. The Request for Driver Information, Form MV-70 identifies related document requests and separate fees. If your concern is a specific accident, the collision-report procedure is a distinct service. Choosing the correct product avoids paying for a broad history when the recipient needs the details from one incident, or ordering an accident report when the real question is license status.

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Request your own history through the official service

The DMV allows you to buy your own three-year or ten-year driving record online. Begin from the record page or the official service directory, which links the transaction used by the department. Be ready to provide the identifying information required by the service so it can match the request to your record. A misspelled name, old number, or inconsistent birth date can make it harder to retrieve the intended information. Use the details on the actual credential and current record.

The department currently warns that some customers have been unable to print the motor vehicle record during online ordering. It says customers continue to receive an official copy by mail and emphasizes keeping the mailing address current. Do not assume a failed print window means a second purchase is necessary. Retain the order information, read the transaction result, and follow up about that request if needed. The address-update process should be completed when your record still points to a former home.

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Use Form MV-70 for a mailed or documented request

Form MV-70 asks for the requester, the driver to be identified, the information sought, and the permissible reason for disclosure. For a single driver, provide the name, South Carolina credential number if available, and birth date. The form says to provide as much information as possible. Accurate identifiers help distinguish people with similar names. Complete the requester certification and any required consent section rather than treating the form as an unsigned cover sheet.

The current form lists $10 for a driving-record copy and $10 for each separately requested ticket, suspension notice, or other related document. It directs mailed requests to Alternative Media, P.O. Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0035. Checks or money orders should be payable to SCDMV, and cash must not be mailed. The fee and payment guidance explains accepted payment methods and potential card-service charges for applicable transactions. Read the form's current destination because a different DMV service may use another unit and ZIP extension.

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Know which requests can be handled at a branch

The form states that driving records may be purchased at a branch if the requester does not want to mail the request. Other related documents identified on the form must be requested through the mail. Use the branch directory for an office visit, and take the identifying and consent information appropriate to the request. An office visit does not remove the restrictions on access to someone else's personal information or change the required basis for disclosure.

For research or statistical requests, MV-70 directs the requester to headquarters with a cover letter describing the requested information and certifying the limits on publication, redisclosure, and contact. Multiple-driver requests use the additional portion of the form. Follow that specialized process rather than treating a batch of names as repeated personal record orders. The purpose of the request controls what can be released and how it can be used afterward.

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Obtain another driver's record only for a permitted purpose

South Carolina's record-privacy explanation describes limits on release of personal information under state and federal law. The record page says another person's full report requires consent or a specific permitted reason. MV-70 lists categories such as government functions, business verification of information already supplied, court proceedings, specified investigations, insurance uses, and employer verification of commercial-license information. Select the reason that actually applies; a convenient checkbox does not create authorization for an unrelated use.

When the request relies on the driver's consent, complete the consent section with the driver's signature and date. The requester also signs a certification about entitlement to receive and use the information. Retain the authorization with the request records so the basis for access remains clear. Personal interest, curiosity, or knowing a license number does not automatically meet the form's conditions. The department's privacy page also explains that different categories of information have different protection rules, so avoid generalizing one rule to every DMV document.

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Interpret points and licensing actions in context

Use the point-system explanation alongside the report. Points can be reduced with age under the statutory calculation while the underlying conviction remains visible in a multiyear history. A free summary therefore may show a smaller current total than the original values of the convictions listed elsewhere. Dates and credential type matter, particularly for learners and restricted drivers subject to lower thresholds. Do not calculate a suspension outcome by adding every historic point shown without considering the applicable rules.

A separate suspension or reinstatement requirement may affect the license even when the points total is low. Mandatory suspensions, insurance issues, and other actions do not all arise from ordinary points. A record can help identify the issue, but purchasing it does not clear a hold. The reinstatement-payment instructions and insurance reporting guidance describe separate processes that may be relevant after you understand the entry. Keep the question of what the record says distinct from the action needed to change its status.

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Use the record for the next transaction accurately

Commercial drivers should consult the commercial licensing overview, which describes checks of interstate licensing and drug-and-alcohol information during specified transactions. A personally purchased history is useful for preparation but does not replace the department's required database checks. A new resident should follow the South Carolina transfer instructions; where a missing noncommercial out-of-state license requires a certified record from the former state, a South Carolina record is not a substitute for that evidence.

If an entry appears inconsistent with your own documents, collect the relevant court disposition, notice, or other evidence and ask the DMV about the recorded issue. Avoid editing the official report yourself or assuming an explanation to a recipient changes the source record. Keep the order receipt, mailed copy, and supporting documents together. Before renewing a license, use the report to identify any point-related testing requirement or unresolved action early enough to address it through the proper channel. The value of the record is in understanding and acting on its contents, not merely possessing another document.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see my South Carolina points without buying a record?
The DMV provides a free online points-summary service.

Which history periods are available for my own online order?
The department offers three-year and ten-year driving records.

How much is a full driving-record copy?
The published charge is $10, with separate charges for additional documents requested under Form MV-70.

What if the online order does not let me print?
The department says official copies continue to be mailed, so retain the order information and ensure the DMV mailing address is correct.

May I obtain someone else’s record merely because I know the license number?
The request requires the driver’s consent or a qualifying permitted use, with the appropriate certification.

Does purchasing a record clear a suspension?
A record reports information; any suspension must be resolved through the separate requirements attached to it.

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More South Carolina DMV guides

The other South Carolina DMV guides, 52 of them:

Where this subject meets the courts and the county records: South Carolina background checks, South Carolina court records and what the South Carolina records law opens.

Traffic tickets in the largest South Carolina counties, each with the local court and office that holds the file: Greenville, Richland, Berkeley, Anderson, Beaufort and Aiken.