(Form J-23) and take it to your local Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office or mail it (along with a photo ID) to: Department of Motor Vehicles, 60 State Street Wethersfield, CT 06161.

You can also get an unofficial copy of your Connecticut driving record from your auto insurance agent, or you can pay a third-party agency to provide a non-certified driving record for personal use quickly. Keep in mind that the latter might not be accurate, and it will cost more than going through the Connecticut DMV office to get a copy of your driving record.

Your driving record is a compilation of any public records

Your driving record is a compilation of any public records of your driving history, starting from the time you got your driver’s license. It’s sometimes referred to as a “motor vehicle report” or “moving violations report.” Employers use MVRs for background checks, government agencies use them for criminal and civil proceedings, and insurance companies use them to

calculate your premium

These records will include any reports of accidents, tickets,

DUIs

, points against your license, and license suspensions. It also includes:

Personal information (e.g., name, address, birth date, etc.)

Driver’s license information

Infraction points

Accidents, citations, violations, and convictions

Fines paid or owed

License suspensions or revocations

Completed driving courses

In Connecticut, all violations remain on your record for 24 months from the date they occurred. The state does not offer any alternatives to getting infractions removed from your record.

DMV points in Connecticut

Connecticut uses a point system for driving records, which assigns a point value to your infractions and keeps track of them on your driving history. You’ll get a warning letter from the DMV if you incur 6 points. With ten or more points, your license will be suspended for 30 days.

Here are some of the violations that cost you 1 point in the state of Connecticut:

Speeding

Failure to drive in the correct lane

Improper operation on highways

Improper or illegal turning, stopping, or passing

Improper backing or starting

These infractions cost you 2 points:

Slow speed or impeding traffic

Disobeying orders from an officer

Entering or leaving the highway from anywhere but a designated entrance or exit

Turning from the wrong lane

Disobeying traffic signals or signs (e.g., stop and yield signs)

These infractions cost you 3 points:

Driving while impaired

Passing incorrectly

Failure to drive a reasonable distance apart

Failure to grant the right of way at an intersection

Failure to grant the right of way to an emergency vehicle or pedestrian

These infractions cost you 4 points:

Racing

Intent to harass

Passing a stopped school bus

Finally, these infractions cost you 5 points:

Operating a school bus at an excessive speed

Negligent homicide with a vehicle

Keep in mind: Connecticut does not allow drivers to enroll in traffic school as a way to reduce the number of points on your driver record—only time will do that.

Your driving record is a leading factor in determining your car insurance rates

Car insurance companies place huge importance on your driving record as part of their rate calculations. If you have a history of severe or repeated violations, you’ll earn the label of a

high-risk driver

, and your insurance premiums will skyrocket—sometimes up to 300%. Even minor infractions, like one moving violation, can raise your rate by around 20% or more.

Take a look at how various traffic violations and factors could affect your car insurance costs:

Driving record infraction	Insurance premium increase
One speeding ticket	17% to 27%
One at-fault accident	49%
One DUI	105%
One count of reckless driving	91%
High-risk driver requiring SR-22	100%

Note that these are just averages. Multiple or more serious infractions can cause your insurance premium to go up even more. Keep your record clean to be offered the lowest possible prices.

Your driving record also affects your ability to drive, since

your license could be suspended

if you accumulate 10 points. At 20 points, you’ll lose your license for at least two years.

Your credit rating can also take a hit if you fail to pay your driving tickets on time. Connecticut reserves the right to increase the fine as a penalty for a late payment. If you’re severely delinquent, the state will send the debt to a collection agency. Having debts in collection can negatively affect your credit score.

You might even lose out on job offers, if employers a clean driving record as a condition of

employment. For firefighters, police officers, delivery drivers, or any occupation where a

commercial driver’s license (CDL)

is required, a spotty driving history won’t cut it.

Key Takeaway Your driving record can affect several aspects of your life—not just your car insurance. Do your best to keep your record as clean as possible.

Check your report and report inconsistencies to improve your driving record

Connecticut doesn’t allow drivers to remove points from their driving record with traffic school, but there are still a few things you can do to improve your driving record—and potentially lower your car insurance rates:

Dispute errors: If there’s an infraction on your record that you didn’t commit, file a discrepancy with the DMV to get it removed from the DMV driving record.

Contest your driving ticket: If you got a traffic ticket that you believe was in error or there were extenuating circumstances, contest it in court. You might get the ticket reduced or removed from your driver history.

Fix minor issues: If you got a fix-it ticket for something like a broken taillight, get the issue repaired and tell the DMV you took care of it. They’ll typically remove this infraction from your motor vehicle record.

Expunge your record: Ask the DMV if you can expunge an infraction from your record. Otherwise, check that misdemeanors, like a DUI, falls off your record after three years.

Ask for a deferment: If you’re a first-time offender, you might be able to pay a fee and, if you go a year without another violation, the infraction won’t make it onto your driving record in the first place.