National Driver Register (NDR)
A federal list of drivers whose licenses were suspended or revoked, or who were convicted of serious traffic offenses.
Updated 13 November 2026
What the National Driver Register is
The National Driver Register, or NDR, is a database run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. States report drivers whose licenses have been suspended, revoked, cancelled or denied, and drivers convicted of serious offenses such as driving under the influence. It is also called the Problem Driver Pointer System.
It does not hold your driving record. It holds a pointer: your name and identifying details, and the state that reported you. The details stay in that state's record.
When it is checked
- Every time you apply for a license or renew one, in any state
- When you apply for a commercial driver license
- For some jobs, such as airline pilot and locomotive engineer, and by some employers of drivers
What happens if you are on it
The state you are applying to will not issue or renew your license until the state that reported you clears the problem. That is how an unpaid ticket from years ago in another state can block a license today.
How to find out why
The reason is in the driving record of the state that reported you. Order your record from that state to see the suspension, its cause and what is still open. Choose the state.
Seeing your NDR file
You can ask the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration whether you are on the register and which state reported you. The request is free and has to be notarized. The answer tells you which state to deal with. It does not show that state's record.
NDR or driving record
The NDR says only that a state has reported a problem. Your driving record, kept by the state, says what the problem is.
See your own record
Your record shows exactly what is on file for you. Pick the state that issued your license.
Related
- 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.
- Do out-of-state tickets go on your record?
Usually yes. Most states report convictions to the state that issued your license, which treats the ticket much as if it happened at home.
- 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.
- Check your driving record
How to check your driving record: what you will see, when it is worth checking, and how to order a copy of your own record from any state.