Traffic Tickets and Driving Records
What is the quickest and cheapest way to get my driving record? The answers to this question is really pretty simple, and you will be really glad you read this post because it could save you both time and money. Lets start with the reason that most people are required to get a copy of their Texas driving record…traffic tickets. Whenever someone decides to take a defensive driving course for a traffic ticket, after paying their court fee to the court clerk (usually $90 to $110) the court will give the driver 90 days to complete a driver safety course (a.k.a. defensive driving) and also submit a copy of their Texas driving record. Why do the courts require a copy of the driving record? The answer is that the driving record will show if you took defensive driving for another ticket in the past 12 months.
Best Way to Order a Texas Driving Record
In the past you had to fill out a DR-1 form that was produced by the Texas Department of Public Safety. This form had to be filled out and mailed with a payment to the Driver Records Bureau in Austin, TX. It was not uncommon for it to take 3-5 weeks for a copy of your driving record to come back in the mail using this option. I must also mention that the cost for a driving record using this option was roughly $10. With a 90 day court deadline, this long delivery time was extremely problematic especially for those that waited until the last minute. Some of the defensive driving companies actually would order your driving record for you, but they would charge you $20-$30 to do this, and they would submit a DR-1 form for you, when you could have done it yourself for $12. With the invention and popularity of the internet, eventually the DPS updated their website and you could go to www.texasonline.com to order your driving record. The cost increased to $12 payable via credit or debit card and your driving records would come via mail in most cases within 5 business days. Very recently, texasonline.com began allowing you the ability to order your driving record through their website and print it out immediately. No more waiting for it come in the snail mail. This is fantastic news for the drivers in Texas! I have heard so many horror stories of people waiting until the last minute to turn in their paperwork to the court, only to be waiting weeks for their driving record from Austin. Or worse the driving record is mailed from Austin, but is lost in the mail. This isn’t a valid excuse any longer. You can get your driving record in minutes.
I hope you read this post before being taken advantage of by some of these online companies trying to charge you a premium for something that you can get yourself quicker and cheaper.
Be safe out there!
