California K4 Driving Record: How to Request and Fix Errors

A California K4 driving record is the standard motor vehicle report issued by the California DMV, and you can request it online for $2 or by mail or in person for $5 using Form INF 1125. It covers your reportable driving history — convictions, accidents, and license actions — going back as far as ten years depending on the offense.¹

What Shows Up on a K4 Record

Every K4 opens with your identifying information: name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and current license status. The rest is your driving history, and how far back it reaches depends on what happened.

California Vehicle Code section 1808 sets the reporting windows:

Ten years for DUI-related convictions under Vehicle Code sections 23140, 23152, and 23153.²
Seven years for other two-point violations like reckless driving, hit-and-run, or evading a peace officer.²
Three years for accidents and other violations, including one-point infractions like speeding or running a red light.²

The record also shows license suspensions and revocations. Those stay visible while the action is in effect and for three years after your privilege is reinstated.² If you completed traffic school to mask a point, that attendance is noted as well. When traffic school masks a point, the underlying conviction still appears on the K4, but the point itself is hidden from employers and insurers.

A Note on the Old “H6” Name

You may still hear people call this record an H6 or a “10-year record.” That terminology is outdated. As of March 20, 2019, the DMV stopped providing the old H6 format, which included internal department data not meant for the public. The K4 replaced it and contains only the reportable information required by Vehicle Code section 1808.¹ If a form or employer still asks for an H6, the K4 is what you’ll deliver.

How to Request Your K4 Record

The DMV offers three ways to get your record, and the right one depends on whether you need a certified copy.

Online

The fastest and cheapest option costs $2 and runs through the DMV’s website. You’ll need an online DMV account. After payment, you can view the record immediately and print it from your browser.³ The printout is not certified. That’s fine for personal review, but it may not satisfy employers or courts that require an official stamped document.

By Mail

For a certified copy with a DMV stamp, complete Form INF 1125 and mail it with a $5 check or money order to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 944247
Sacramento, CA 94244³

Expect several weeks for delivery. Include your full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number on the form.

In Person

You can bring the completed INF 1125 form to a local DMV office and pay the $5 fee to receive a certified copy on the spot. This avoids the mail delay but means dealing with DMV wait times.

Certified vs. Uncertified: Which One You Actually Need

If the record is for you — reviewing your own history, checking for identity theft, or preparing for a job hunt — the $2 online version is enough. If a court, a commercial employer, or an insurance underwriter is asking for the document, they usually want the certified copy with the DMV stamp. When in doubt, ask the requester before paying for the wrong version.

Who Else Can Pull Your Record

Your driving record isn’t available to anyone who asks. The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act restricts who can obtain personal information from state motor vehicle records. Authorized requesters include government agencies and law enforcement, insurers conducting claims investigations or underwriting, employers verifying commercial driver qualifications, licensed private investigators, and anyone involved in court proceedings or litigation.⁴

Businesses can access limited information to verify data you’ve already provided or to prevent fraud, but they can’t pull your record for marketing purposes without your express consent.⁴ Someone who obtains your record outside the permitted categories could face penalties under federal law.

Fixing an Error on Your K4

Mistakes on K4 records happen more often than people expect, and an inaccurate conviction or accident report can raise your insurance rates or cost you a job. California uses different forms depending on what’s wrong.

For incorrect traffic violation or conviction information, submit a Driver License Record Correction Request (Form DL 207). You’ll need certified court documents proving the error.⁵ For errors involving a traffic accident, use the Traffic Accident Record Correction Request (Form DL 208) instead.⁶ Violation records and accident records go through separate DMV processes, which is why the forms differ.

You can mail either form to the DMV or bring it to a local office. Gather your supporting documentation before you submit: court abstracts showing a dismissed charge, corrected police reports, or proof that a conviction was expunged. If the DMV denies your correction request, you can request a hearing to present your case directly.

Why People Pull Their Own Record

Reviewing your own K4 is worth doing before an employer, insurer, or court sees it first. Checking accuracy catches the errors described above while there’s time to fix them. It also catches signs of identity theft — unfamiliar violations that could indicate someone used your license information. And if you’re applying for a job that involves driving, knowing exactly what’s on the record puts you in a better position to answer questions honestly and prepare for anything the employer might flag.

1
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Records and Types of Information
2
California Legislative Information. California Code VEH Division 2 Chapter 1 Article 3 Section 1808
3
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Start Driver’s Record Request
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records
5
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Forms
6
California DMV. DL 208, Traffic Accident Record Correction Request