Client Questions

A client called recently to express concern that the driving record of an applicant for employment did not show a pending Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charge. The employer knew the applicant had been charged as the applicant admitted she had a court date next month. Naturally, they wanted to know if driving records show pending DUI cases and how quickly do they show up after the violation.

It’s a great question and one we hear fairly often. I explained; DUI’s (and other violations) are not posted to a driving record until there is a conviction. Once there is a conviction, it can take a couple of weeks for the court to report this to the DMV (varies by state and even from court to court). One exception to note: If the state where the violation occurred takes administrative action (such as a suspension for failure to submit to a breathalyzer), you may see this on the driving record before the conviction.