Can you expunge your driving record?

Why driving records are hard to clear

Expungement is a court process for criminal records. A driving record is kept by a state agency under its own rules, and those rules set how long each entry stays. When the time is up, the entry drops off without you doing anything.

What can come off early

• Mistakes. An entry that is not yours, or was recorded wrongly, can be corrected by the agency that keeps the record.
• Convictions that a court later overturns or dismisses.
• Points. Many states take points off when you complete an approved driving course. See how to get points off your license.
• Entries in states with their own process. Maryland, for example, clears eligible entries after a set number of years without a new violation.

If your criminal case was expunged

Expunging or sealing a criminal case, such as a DUI, does not always remove the entry from your driving record. The motor vehicle agency keeps its own file, and many states keep serious driving convictions there regardless. Check your record after the court order to see what it still shows.

Start with what is on it

Order your record first. It shows which entries are still listed and when each was added, so you can work out what will drop off by itself, and when. Check your driving record.