Indiana Driving Record Background Check: What Shows Up

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If an employer asks for an Indiana driving record background check, the BMV record it sees can show your traffic citations, violations and suspensions, both current and resolved. Points fade from the active total after two years, but the violation itself stays on the record with no official end date. If an employer asks for a certified record, that is the BMV’s Official Driver Record, which you can order yourself for $4.

Key Facts

Certified record: the BMV says some employers and school admission offices require a certified driver record. See what employers ask for.
What it lists: current and resolved suspensions, citations, violations and other entries. See what the reader sees.
Points fade, entries stay: points go inactive two years after conviction; the violation stays. See what fades and what stays.
DSP credit: lowers the point total but does not remove the citation. See the DSP credit.
Fix errors first: the BMV must decide a material error request within 30 days. See fixing errors.

What Employers Ask For

The BMV speaks to this on its driver record page. It says, “Some employers and school admission offices require a certified driver record.”

In BMV terms, that means the Official Driver Record (ODR). It comes with a BMV letter of certification, which the free view does not, and it costs $4.

The free Viewable Driver Record (VDR) is a separate view. It is useful for your own check, but the BMV does not describe it as certified.

What the Reader of Your Record Sees

Per the BMV, a record lists suspensions, citations and violations whether they are “current and resolved.” So a reader sees more than open matters.

The BMV’s 2022 legend for the ODR explains the rest:

Current Points: the “Total of individual’s points on record.”
Active-point marks: convictions with active points are marked with an asterisk (*).
Suspension marks: an asterisk marks an active suspension, and a double asterisk marks a stayed one.
DSP credit: a four point credit appears after the BMV gets Driver Safety Program results.

That means a reader can tell which convictions still count toward your point total. Convictions whose points are no longer active can still be listed.

Will an Indiana Driving Record Background Check Show Old Tickets?

It can. The point rule, 140 IAC 1-4.5-4, says the violation is kept as part of your record. It names no date when a violation drops off, and no other official source does either.

The BMV’s record page does not say how many years of history the ODR covers. The legend does not give a lookback period either. So do not count on an old violation being gone.

What changes over time is the point status. That is covered in the next section.

What Fades and What Stays

The BMV’s points page gives two years from the conviction date as the active period for points. The rule says they become inactive 24 months after the disposition date.

Here is how each part of an entry behaves:

Part of the entry	What happens over time
Points from a conviction	Inactive 24 months after the disposition date
The violation itself	Stays part of the record; no official end date
A resolved suspension	Still listed, as resolved
The 4-point DSP credit	Lowers the point total; the citation stays

The clock starts at the conviction, not the ticket. If a case took months to close, the points stay active longer from the ticket date.

Why the Conviction Date Matters

The date on the entry tells a reader whether the points still count. Points stay active for two years from the conviction date, so the math is simple.

Here is an example with plain numbers. A driver has a 4-point conviction and a 6-point conviction, 14 months apart.

For 10 months, both are active and the total is 10. Once the first one passes two years, only the 6-point conviction counts.

Both entries still appear on the record. Only the point status changes, and the ODR’s asterisk is how a reader tells which entries still carry active points. That is the key difference between what fades and what stays.

The DSP Credit

Completing an approved Driver Safety Program (DSP) puts a 4-point credit on your record. The rule allows that credit only once every three years. Only courses from providers on the BMV’s approved list earn it.

The credit changes the total, not the list. The BMV’s Driver Safety Program page says completion “will not remove a citation from your driver history.”

So a reader of your record would still see the citation. The point total, though, is lower once the credit posts. The BMV applies it within 7 to 14 business days of the provider’s notice.

Timeline of an Indiana traffic entry: ticket, conviction and points, DSP credit, points inactive after 24 months, violation still on record

A Driving Record Is Not a Criminal Record

The BMV record is a driving history. A criminal background check is a different kind of record, kept outside the BMV. The facts here cover only what the BMV shows.

Ordinary speeding is a Class C infraction under IC 9-21-5-2, not a crime. For whether a ticket is a crime, see is an Indiana speeding ticket a misdemeanor.

Reckless driving is a separate charge with its own rules. Our reckless driving guide covers it.

Suspensions a Reader Can See

Suspensions get their own marks on the ODR. The legend uses an asterisk for an active suspension and a double asterisk for a stayed one.

A suspension does not leave the list when it ends. The BMV says the record shows “current and resolved suspensions.” So a reader may see a past suspension, shown as resolved.

Two sources of a suspension under BMV rules:

Points. Twenty or more active points within 24 months, after any DSP credit, brings a suspension under 140 IAC 1-4.5-4.
A missed BMV-ordered DSP. The suspension lasts until the course is completed and processed by the BMV.

Tickets From Other States

An Indiana record can include violations from other states. Rule 140 IAC 1-4.5-10 says out-of-state violations are recorded using a national code list from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

Rule 140 IAC 1-4.5-5 says the BMV assesses points for them when Indiana has a matching violation. The points count as if the violation happened in Indiana.

Questions to Ask the Employer

The BMV page does not say how an employer gets your record. So ask before you order anything:

Do you need the certified Official Driver Record, or will the free view do?
Do you need the BMV’s letter of certification with it?
Should I order it myself and send it to you?

Clear answers keep you from paying for the wrong record or sending one that is not accepted. They also tell you whether the employer plans to read the point total or only the list of entries.

Check Your Own Record First

You can order the same certified ODR the BMV gives out. Order it yourself on myBMV for $4.

If you do not know your license number, the BMV says you must request the ODR by mail. The mail form is State Form 53789. For each record type and how to get it, see your Indiana driving record.

When you read it, look for these items:

The “Current Points” total.
Which convictions carry an asterisk.
Any suspension, and whether it is marked active or stayed.
A four point credit line, if you took a DSP.

Fixing Errors Before a Check

A wrong entry is worth fixing before anyone reads it. The BMV’s Material Error Review is the process.

Under IC 9-33-2-1, the request goes to the BMV in writing. The BMV then has 30 days to rule on it, and a confirmed error must be corrected with written notice to you.

Rule 140 IAC 1-10-1 says the request must describe the error “with reasonable particularity.” It must also include any documents that support your claim.

Some entries come from a court. The BMV says court judgments “must be settled with the court as the BMV cannot address these court actions.” For each step, see how to dispute an error on your Indiana BMV driving record.

If a Court Changes a Case

A court can change a violation after the fact. Rule 140 IAC 1-4.5-4(e) covers what the BMV does next.

If a court “vacates, dismisses, amends, or otherwise modifies a violation,” the BMV must adjust any points suspension. It acts after it receives the court’s record. So a court change can affect what your record shows.

What We Found on the Official Pages

We reviewed the BMV’s record page on October 26, 2026; it was last modified on March 18, 2026. It named employers and school admission offices as groups that may require a certified record.

It did not say how far back a record goes, and it did not mention background checks by name. The point and suspension marks come from the BMV’s 2022 ODR legend.

Checklist before you share an Indiana driving record: the certified ODR, the point total, conviction dates, errors and court items

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each item comes from a BMV page or Indiana rule:

Assuming old tickets drop off. The violation stays part of the record.
Mixing up points and entries. Points go inactive; the entry does not.
Counting from the ticket date. The two years run from the conviction date.
Thinking the DSP clears the record. The citation stays after the credit.
Sending the free VDR. Employers who require certification want the ODR.
Asking the BMV to fix a court judgment. That goes to the court.

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

Will a traffic ticket show up on an Indiana driving record check?

Yes, once it is on your BMV record. The BMV says the record shows current and resolved citations, violations and suspensions.

How far back does an Indiana driving record go?

No BMV page we found states a lookback period. The point rule says the violation stays part of the record. Points, though, go inactive two years after conviction.

Can an employer see my points?

The certified ODR lists “Current Points” and marks convictions with active points. An employer who gets your ODR can see both.

Does a Driver Safety Program remove the ticket?

No. The course earns a 4-point credit, at most once in three years, and the citation stays listed on your record.

Is a speeding ticket a criminal record in Indiana?

Ordinary speeding is a Class C infraction, not a crime. A criminal background check is a separate record outside the BMV.

Which record should I give an employer?

Ask the employer. The BMV says some employers require a certified driver record, which is the $4 ODR.

Will a past suspension show up?

It can. The BMV says the record shows current and resolved suspensions. The ODR marks an active suspension with an asterisk and a stayed one with a double asterisk.

What if my record has a mistake?

Ask the BMV for a Material Error Review in writing. It must decide within 30 days. Court judgments go to the court.

Conclusion

An Indiana driving record background check can show citations, violations and suspensions, both current and resolved. Points go inactive two years after conviction, but the entry stays, and a DSP credit lowers the total without removing the citation.

To earn that credit, see 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.