Indiana Driving Record Out of State: If You Move

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

Your Indiana driving record out of state stays with the Indiana BMV after you move, and you can still order a copy online or by mail. Indiana is a member of the Driver License Compact, so member states share conviction reports, and a new state must check your old license before it issues one. No official source says how your new state will treat Indiana points or a Driver Safety Program credit, so plan around what Indiana’s rules do say.

Key Facts

Indiana keeps its record: you can still get your Official Driver Record online for $4 or by mail. See Indiana keeps its record.
The Compact: member states report convictions to the driver’s home state. See the Driver License Compact.
New license check: your new state must check your old license and may not issue one while it is suspended or revoked. See applying in your new state.
Points in the new state: no official source says how another state treats Indiana points or the DSP credit. See what no official source says.
Before you go: resolve any Indiana suspension or BMV notice. See before you move.

Indiana Keeps Its Own Record

Moving does not close your Indiana file. The Indiana BMV keeps the record of your driving history, and the BMV’s driver record page still offers it to you.

That record shows “current and resolved suspensions, citations, violations and other entries.” The point rule, 140 IAC 1-4.5-4, says a violation “shall remain a part of the person’s record.” No official source sets an end date for it.

Points follow their own clock. They become inactive 24 months after the disposition date of each violation. The rule ties that clock to the disposition date.

Getting Your Indiana Driving Record Out of State

You do not need to visit Indiana to get your record. The BMV lists two ways:

Online. Use myBMV. The free Viewable Driver Record and the $4 certified Official Driver Record (ODR) are both there.
By mail. Send State Form 53789, “Request for Certified Records,” to the address on the BMV’s record page.

The mail form matters if you no longer have your license number. The BMV says that without it, “you will be required to request a copy of your Official Driver Record by mail.”

A certified ODR is the copy that comes with a BMV letter of certification. For more on each record type, see your Indiana driving record.

The Driver License Compact

Indiana belongs to the Driver License Compact. Its text is in Indiana law at IC 9-28-1-3. Three parts of it matter when you move.

Article 3, reporting. “The licensing authority of a party state shall report each conviction of a person from another party state” to the person’s home state.
Article 4, effect. For a short list of serious offenses, such as driving under the influence, the home state gives the conduct the same effect as if it happened at home. For other convictions, the home state applies its own laws.
Article 5, new licenses. When you apply for a license, the new party state “shall ascertain” whether you hold a license from another party state.

Under Article 3, the report names the driver, the violation and the court. It also says whether the driver pleaded guilty or not guilty.

The Compact uses the term “party state” for members. No official list of member states was part of this review. So ask your new state whether it is a party state.

Applying for a License in Your New State

Article 5 puts a duty on the new state, not on Indiana. When you apply, the new state must check whether you hold a license from another party state.

The Compact also limits what the new state may do. In plain terms, it may not issue you a license while your old license is suspended or revoked. It also may not issue one unless the old license is surrendered.

So an active Indiana suspension can follow you to the new licensing office. That is the main reason to settle Indiana matters before you go.

Moving checklist for an Indiana driver: order the ODR, clear any suspension, finish a required DSP, then apply in the new state

Points on Your Indiana Record After You Leave

Indiana’s point rules keep working on the Indiana record. Points from each conviction become inactive 24 months after its disposition date, and the violation stays listed.

The DSP credit is also an Indiana item. The BMV applies the 4-point credit “to an Indiana Official Driver Record,” once every three years. Completion “will not remove a citation from your driver history.”

So any credit changes the Indiana total only. What your new state does with your history is up to its own laws.

What No Official Source Says

Some common questions have no official answer. The Compact text and the BMV pages reviewed here do not say:

How your new state counts or converts Indiana points.
Whether your new state honors Indiana’s 4-point DSP credit.
Whether lowering your Indiana point total before you move helps you in the new state.

The Compact says the home state applies its own laws to convictions outside its short list of serious offenses. Beyond that, ask your new state’s licensing agency how it uses an out-of-state record.

Question	What official sources say
Does Indiana keep my record after I move?	Yes; you can order it online or by mail
Are convictions in member states reported to my home state?	Yes, under Article 3 of the Compact
Will my new state check my Indiana license?	Yes, under Article 5 of the Compact
Will my new state use my Indiana point total?	No official source says
Does the Indiana DSP credit carry over?	No official source says

While Indiana Is Still Your Home State

While Indiana is your licensing (home) state, out-of-state tickets land on your Indiana record.

Rule 140 IAC 1-4.5-5 says the BMV “shall assess points” for violations in another state when Indiana has a matching violation. “The points shall be assessed as if the person had committed the violation in Indiana.” Indiana records those violations using a national code list from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

If Indiana has no matching violation, no points are assessed. For tickets from other states, see Indiana speeding tickets for out-of-state drivers.

Before You Move: Settle Indiana Matters

Loose ends in Indiana can slow a new license. These items have clear official rules:

A suspension. Find out what it takes to end it. The BMV’s record page links to myBMV for reinstatement requirements and fees.
A BMV-ordered DSP. Under IC 9-30-3-12, the BMV must suspend a driver who does not finish a required course. The BMV notice gives 90 days.
A court order. Follow the court’s deadline and proof steps.
An error. Use the BMV’s Material Error Review; the BMV must decide within 30 days.
Your record. Order a certified ODR to keep for your files.

The BMV lists online as one DSP format, along with DVD and classroom. Every approved course lasts at least 4 hours, and the BMV’s maximum price is $55.

A Pending BMV-Ordered DSP

A required course does not go away when you move. The BMV mails the notice, and the course must be done within 90 days of the notice date.

If it is not done, privileges are suspended. The BMV’s manual says the suspension lasts “until such time as you successfully complete the DSP course and the completion is processed by the BMV.”

The provider notifies the BMV when you finish. The BMV’s Driver Safety Program page says credit is applied within 7 to 14 business days of that notice. If that time passes with no credit, the BMV says to email your certificate to BMVDSP@bmv.IN.gov.

If Your Indiana Record Shows a Suspension

Indiana’s point suspensions start at 20 active points within 24 months, after any DSP credit. The length depends on the total, from one month up to twelve.

Because Article 5 bars a new license while the old one is suspended, the timing matters. Check your ODR for an asterisk next to a suspension, which marks one that is active. For the full table, see Indiana license suspension for points.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the BMV pages checked on October 26, 2026, the driver record page offered the online ODR for $4 and State Form 53789 by mail. It showed a modified date of March 18, 2026.

None of the BMV pages reviewed said how other states treat Indiana points or the DSP credit. The Compact text in IC 9-28-1-3 was the only official source on what happens across state lines.

What the Driver License Compact asks of each state: the ticketing state reports, the home state applies its laws, the new state checks the old license

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each item comes from the Compact, a BMV page or an Indiana rule:

Assuming the record is deleted. Indiana keeps it, and you can still order it.
Leaving a suspension behind. A new state may not issue a license while the old one is suspended.
Ignoring a BMV DSP notice. The 90 days still run after you move.
Assuming points convert. No official source says how a new state uses Indiana points.
Counting on the DSP credit elsewhere. No official source says it carries over.
Forgetting your license number. Without it, the ODR must be requested by mail.

How Requirements Can Vary

Indiana’s point rules, the 4-point credit and the BMV’s Driver Safety Program order come from state law and BMV rules, and they apply statewide. What you must do still depends on whether you take the course by choice, because of a BMV notice, or under a court order. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and court practice can change. Check your BMV notice, your court order and the Indiana BMV website for current rules before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Indiana driving record follow me to another state?

Indiana keeps its own record after you move. Under the Driver License Compact, your new state must check your old license when you apply. How it uses your Indiana history depends on its own laws.

Do Indiana points transfer when I move?

No official source says how another state treats Indiana points. Ask your new state’s licensing agency. On Indiana’s record, points go inactive 24 months after each disposition date.

Can I get my Indiana driving record after I move?

Yes. Order it on myBMV, or by mail with State Form 53789 if you do not know your license number. The certified ODR costs $4.

Can I get a new license if Indiana suspended mine?

The Compact says the new state may not issue a license while your old one is suspended or revoked. Resolve the Indiana suspension first.

Do I still have to finish a BMV-ordered DSP after moving?

Yes. The course must be done within 90 days of the BMV notice, or driving privileges are suspended until it is completed and processed.

Should I lower my Indiana points before I move?

No official source says that lowering Indiana points helps in a new state. A DSP credit lowers the total on your Indiana record. Ask your new state how it uses out-of-state records.

Will my new state honor the Indiana DSP credit?

No official source says so. The 4-point credit is applied to the Indiana Official Driver Record.

Conclusion

Your Indiana driving record out of state stays with the Indiana BMV, and the Driver License Compact lets your new state check your old license. Settle any suspension, BMV notice or court order before you apply for a new license.

If you need to finish a required course, you can take Driving Logic’s online Indiana Driver Safety Program. If a court ordered your course, check that the order allows an online course.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Indiana and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Indiana BMV rules, court orders, fines and penalties depend on your notice, citation, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Indiana BMV and court sources, and consult a qualified Indiana attorney for advice about your own case.