Accessing and Researching State Drunk Driving Records

Drunk driving records include those involving arrests and charges of DUI, DWI or OWI offenses, depending on the state. These offenses will remain on a driver's record for several years and possibly life, and affect everything from issuance of his or her license to insurance rates in the future. Someone may want to research their own drunk driving records to ensure they are accurate, or look them up as part of a background check on an employee or other party.

Accessing the Records

Every state maintains their own DMV records, court records and arrest records that may be accessible by only certain parties. The accused, their attorney and immediate family members are typically allowed unrestricted access. Outside parties may require a court order to access them, or personal information such as addresses and SSN may be removed from the records.

Types of Drunk Driving Records

Typically, the drunk driving records of the DMV are not accessible by the public. For example, the California DMV site explains that only immediate family may access them at this address: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/faq/genfaq.htm. However, a DUI, DWI or OWI is considered a criminal offense, and thus carries court appearances, fines and sometimes even jail sentences that are available to the public. These may be found through a regular court and criminal records search through your local Department of Corrections or state police website.

Information Available in Drunk Driving Records

The public may search these drunk driving records available through the courts and law enforcement agencies for various details about a drunk driving case. These details include the date of the offense, official charges, arrest information, court dates and pleas entered, and sentence served. This sentence may include jail time, fines, community service and suspension of the driver's license and/or the installation of an ignition locking device.

The arrest information will include the arresting officer's information and location of the the arrest. Court records will reveal the official charges entered against the defendant, as well as how he or she pled to them. These charges can include DWI, DUI, or OWI and may be further classified as misdemeanor or felony charges. This will vary according to the corresponding state laws and how they classify the offenses.

In most states, one of the above mentioned drunk driving charges will follow if a driver has a measured blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. In other instances, the only thing needed for a drunk driving arrest is erratic driving and the smell of alcohol or drugs detected by the arresting officer. It's important to be aware of your state's drunk driving laws and how one of these charges may impact your driving record, who can access it and how it may hinder your ability to achieve certain types of employment in the future.

State-Specific Drunk Driving Records Information:

Arizona Drunk Driving

Colorado Drunk Driving

Florida Drunk Driving

Georgia Drunk Driving

Indiana Drunk Driving

Iowa Drunk Driving

Kansas Drunk Driving

Maine Drunk Driving

Maryland Drunk Driving

Minnesota Drunk Driving

Missouri Drunk Driving

New Jersey Drunk Driving

New York Drunk Driving

North Carolina Drunk Driving

Ohio Drunk Driving

Oregon Drunk Driving

Utah Drunk Driving