Insurers will conduct a check of your driving record any time you apply for a quote or renew your existing policy. Remember that insurance companies are assessing risk when preparing a quote. The company is calculating the chances that you will need to file a claim by reviewing your driving record, vehicle information and even your place of residence.

Insurance providers will pull your motor vehicle report (MVR), which can be obtained from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Insurers can also obtain your MVR from risk solution companies like LexisNexis.

What Do Companies Look at on Your Record?

As the name implies, an MVR contains virtually everything about your history with motor vehicles. Insurers look for traffic tickets, convictions, accidents (including not-at-fault crashes), parking tickets and more. Insurers may also check to see whether your driver’s license has ever been suspended.

While your MVR includes vehicle-related criminal convictions like DUIs, it does not include other criminal histories. The MVR also excludes any non-moving violations, such as things like citations for having an expired registration or other offenses that do not reflect on your ability to operate a vehicle.