How long does a DUI stay on your record?
Much longer than a ticket. Many states keep a DUI on the driving record for ten years or more, and some keep it for life.
Updated 13 November 2026
A conviction for driving under the influence, which some states call DWI or OWI, is the entry that stays on a driving record longest.
Which record you mean matters
- Your driving record, kept by the state that issued your license. That is what the table below covers.
- Your criminal record, which is separate. A DUI conviction stays there unless a court seals or expunges it.
- The look-back period, which is how long an earlier DUI counts toward a heavier penalty for a second one.
- Your insurer's look-back, which is the insurer's own rule and is usually shorter than the state's.
How long a DUI stays on your driving record, state by state
| State | How long a DUI stays on the driving record |
|---|---|
| Alaska | A DUI conviction stays on the Alaska driving record for life. |
| California | A DUI conviction stays on the public driver record for 10 years for noncommercial drivers. |
| Colorado | A DUI conviction stays on the Colorado driving record for 10 years. |
| Delaware | A DUI sentence stays on the driving record for a minimum of 5 years. |
| Florida | Alcohol-related entries stay on the Florida driving record for 75 years. |
| Illinois | Alcohol and drug offenses stay on the driving record for life. |
| Iowa | A conviction or revocation for operating while intoxicated stays on the operating record for 12 years. |
| Kansas | A DUI conviction or diversion stays on the driving record for the driver's lifetime. |
| Louisiana | A DWI conviction stays on the record for 10 years from the conviction date, or 55 years for commercial driver license holders. |
| Maryland | A DUI or DWI conviction cannot be expunged from the Maryland driving record. |
| Michigan | Alcohol and drug related driving convictions stay on the Michigan driving record for life. |
| Minnesota | Specified alcohol-related offenses and licensing actions are kept on the Minnesota driving record permanently. |
| Montana | A DUI conviction stays on the Montana driving record for life. |
| Nevada | The Nevada DMV says a DUI conviction and license revocation stay on the full DMV record for life. |
| New Mexico | A DWI conviction stays on the New Mexico driving record for 55 years when the citation was issued on or after June 17, 2005. |
| New York | A DWI conviction shows on the standard abstract for 15 years, and a DWAI conviction for 10 years. |
| North Dakota | Non-commercial alcohol violations stay on the North Dakota driving record for 7 years. |
| Oregon | A DUII conviction can stay on the Oregon certified court print driving record permanently. |
| Texas | A DWI conviction stays on the driver record indefinitely. |
| Utah | DUI and drug-related violations display on the driving record for 10 years. |
| Virginia | A DUI conviction stays on the DMV record for 11 years. |
| Washington | Alcohol-related convictions stay on the driving record for life. |
| Wisconsin | Alcohol-related convictions stay on the driving record indefinitely. |
| Wyoming | The standard driving record shows DUI for five years, and the department keeps driving history for at least 10 years. |
Checked 13 November 2026 against each state's own publications. A state is listed only where we could confirm its rule. States change these rules, and your own record shows what applies to you.
See your own record
Your record shows exactly what is on file for you. Pick the state that issued your license.
Related
- How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record?
An ordinary speeding ticket stays on your driving record for three to five years in most states. See how long it stays in yours.
- Can you expunge your driving record?
In most states you cannot remove a valid entry from your driving record early. What does come off, and what expunging a criminal case changes.
- Check license status
Your driving record shows whether your license is valid, suspended, revoked or expired, and why. How to check your license status in any state.
- Driving records for CDL holders
What trucking employers must check, the records a commercial driver should look at before applying, and where to get them.