How much is a DMV driving report?

Why doesn't an accident in IAshow up on a NM MVD report? & Job Applications.

• I am a NM resident with a NM Driver?s license (had since 1997 or so). I was in Iowa for school and had an accident in Iowa in April of 2005 [rolled my ?96 Toyota Corolla, no one else hurt, didn?t receive a ticket (to my knowledge), there was an police report written (I have a pdf copy), the rollover was my fault, car was totaled, I went to hospital but was ok, there was a claim filed with State Farm Auto insurance company]. I checked my NM driving record in May 2006 and there is no mention of it. I called IA today and they said they could not find a MVD record for me. I'm currently doing job applications and some ask for "Clean Driving Record" etc. Other that rolling my car once... I've never had a ticket or accident. The employment applications I'm talking about involve driving. Question: How do I view this accident? i.e. do I have a "Clean Driving Record"? (or, more to the point, how can I tell?) Possible Sub-Questions: 1) Does it count as an accident for insurance or driving record purposes? 2) Why doesn't it show up on my MVD report? 3) Where it would be recorded (besides police report)? 4) Any other information I need to know so I can explain the situation to potential employers who ask "Have you ever been in an accident?" or "Requires clean driving record" ***** I mainly want to know how to view this accident so I don?t needlessly disqualify myself nor misrepresent myself on employment applications, insurance applications, or driver?s license applications. Eventually, I need to be able to accurately explain the situation to potential employers who ask "Have you ever been in an accident?" or "Requires clean driving record". ***** Sincerely, - NM resident P.S. I'm also studying to get a CDL and when I explained the situation to the instructor, he mentioned something about getting a national DMV report. Maybe that will help you in your research. (He wasn't concerned with the issue for CDL purposes because it would only be 1 accident and is over a year ago.) Note, however, that from my research I don?t think that a class D license rollover would be reported to the national database. Iowa seemed to agree when I talked to them.

• Answer:

  Dear dan_from_nm-ga; Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. I have spent some 20 plus years in law enforcement and I happen to have some insight into these types of issues. First, let me say that not all accidents make it to one?s DMV record. Why? Well there are a variety of reasons not the least of which is human error, oversight, misplacement, or just plain laziness. Luckily for you, one or more of these issues seems to have worked in your favor. >>> How do I view this accident? i.e. do I have a "Clean Driving Record"? (or, more to the point, how can I tell?) For employment purposes if an application asks if you have a ?clean driving record? the answer is ?yes?, You have, in good faith checked the most reliable sources to determine the status and history of your record and you have determined to the best of your ability that your record is free of adverse notations. In the end you are assured from the authorities that your record is clean so you may, in all honesty, answer the question truthfully: You have no adverse driving record. >>> Does it count as an accident for insurance or driving record purposes? If there is no accident on your driving record there is no record of an accident for insurance purposes. Insurance companies rely on the same printout that is used by law enforcement agencies so if the law enforcement agency didn?t submit it to the state then there is no notation to see. >>> Why doesn't it show up on my MVD report? Who knows? Law enforcement agencies typically forward a copy of accident reports to the state agencies. The accident is then recorded in the state database, Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN). From there the reported would have been forwarded to New Mexico?s NCIC/NMIC and the National Crime Information Center network (NCIC). From here the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the NTSB, the state DMV and others can retrieve the data on a records check. So, as you can see, your data changes hands many times and occasionally some records just don?t get entered for whatever reason. I personally know of this happening on more than one occasion ? in fact it happened to ME one time. Guess where? Coincidentally it happened right there in good old New Mexico, but it happens in all states, probably more frequently than the authorities would care to admit. When this oversight happens, most people consider this a bonus ? I know I did. Do I have a clean record? You bet, because it was never officially reported back to my state DMV. >>> Where it would be recorded (besides police report)? If an insurance company was involved more than likely this is the most feasible place to look for information. However the insurance company is probably have the same type of information (if not identical information) that the law enforcement agency that investigated the accident has, and little more. Beyond that, there probably isn?t any other record if none exists on your official DMV record. If there were it might also be recorded with the Iowa Department of Transportation. You can contact them and see but I suspect if will not be there. It might be worth a try though if you are determined to stir up interes in your driving record: For limited information regarding an accident, such as date, time, specific location, and immediate facts and circumstances, contact: Iowa Department of Transportation Office of Driver Services 100 Euclid Avenue, P.O. Box 9204 Des Moines, Iowa 50306-9204 E-Mail: [email protected] http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/ods/accidents.htm >>> Any other information I need to know so I can explain the situation to potential employers who ask "Have you ever been in an accident?" or "Requires clean driving record". Honestly, there?s nothing to explain. Consider yourself lucky. By revealing only what you can officially produce ? which in this case is virtually nothing ? you can only attest to what the official record states: you have a clean record. Sure...you had an accident and the police came and investigated it and reported it. The question however is: "Do you have a clean driving RECORD"? Clearly the answer is yes. DMV has already confirmed that for you by failing to find any derogatory information. If every unofficial error were held against is we?d all be penalized every time we exceeded the speed limit and we?re all guilty of breaking the law and defiling our otherwise clean record whether it gets reported or not. See what I mean? Most employers don?t want to know everything you?ve ever done in your life ? they merely want to know, for insurance purposes, if you are insurable for liability reasons. If you really WANT this accident on your record you should go to the police department and ask them to dig up your accident report and make sure they send it to the state so you will have it on your record and be properly penalized for it (I don?t seriously recommend doing that). Otherwise count your blessings and let it go. If the DMV say you?re clean, by official state standards and for liability purposes, you ARE clean?and that IS the truth, no matter what might have (unofficially, as it now turns out) happened in the past. I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have any questions about my research please post a clarification request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us. Best regards; Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher INFORMATION SOURCES Defined above SEARCH STRATEGY SEARCH ENGINE USED: Google ://www.google.com SEARCH TERMS USED: IOWA DRIVING RECORD DMV ACCIDENT DATABASE