These guidelines specify the procedures that an individual must follow to exercise their rights set forth in Article 8 of the Information Practices Act (Civil Code Section 1798.30 – 1798.37). If a person wishes to exercise their IPA rights under Article 8, that individual must follow these procedures in order for DMV to adhere to the IPA requirements. These guidelines do not alter or affect the confidentiality or exemptions set forth in Civil Code sections 1798.38 through 1798.44.

Are you trying to review your own vehicle or driver’s license record?  If yes, then instead of proceeding with a request under the IPA, learn how to submit a request on Vehicle or Driver’s Records Requests.

If you believe that your DMV driver’s license record contains incorrect information regarding a traffic violation/conviction, you can request a review and correction of that information by contacting the court or by completing and submitting a Driver License Record Correction Request (Traffic Violations/Convictions Only) (DL 207).

Update and make changes to your registration information under Vehicle Registration Changes.

IPA Record Inquiry

Each individual has the right to inquire and be notified as to whether the agency maintains a record about that person. To exercise this right, a person must submit a written request to DMV with the subject line: “IPA Record Inquiry” and include a copy of that person’s driver’s license/identification card that was received from DMV. 

Within 30 days from DMV receiving an IPA Record Inquiry, DMV will respond with a NOTICE re: IPA Record Inquiry, sent to the requester’s current address of record that includes the following information:

1. Whether or not DMV has records concerning that person.
2. The title and business address of DMV official(s) responsible for maintaining the identified records.
3. The procedures for that person to gain access to record information pursuant to the IPA.
4. The procedures to be followed for a person to contest the contents of record information disclosed to that person pursuant to the IPA.

The IPA provides specific rights regarding a person’s ability to access personal information about that person which may be in DMV’s records. The procedures for a person to gain access to their personal information is called the IPA Record Inspection Procedure, set forth below.

The IPA provides specific rights regarding a person’s ability to in writing an amendment to a record. The procedures for a person to contest the contents of record information is called IPA Record Amendment Procedure, set forth below.

IPA Record Inspection Procedure

Except as otherwise provided by the IPA, DMV shall permit any individual person to inspect all personal information in any record containing that person’s personal information, where such record is maintained by reference to an identifying particular assigned to that person ( for example that person’s driver’s license number or vehicle identification number).

If a person wishes to exercise this right, that person must submit a written letter request to DMV that states on the subject line: “IPA Record Inspection Request” and include a copy of that person’s driver’s license/identification card that was received from DMV. 

After DMV receives a person’s IPA Record Inspection Request with the required identifying information, then DMV will permit inspection of all of that person’s personal information in DMV’s records within 30 days for active records and within 60 days for inactive or geographically dispersed records. DMV will also permit inspection by sending a copy of all of that person’s personal information in DMV’s records to that person’s address of record in DMV’s records upon payment of the actual costs or statutory fee for the copies.

DMV will present the personal information in a form reasonably comprehensible to the general public.

DMV will allow inspection of an individual’s personal information by another person of the individual’s own choosing, only if the individual submits an express written statement authorizing that disclosure of his/her personal information to that other person. If an individual decides to exercise this right, that individual must include a written statement as part of the IPA Record Inspection Request that expressly authorizes the disclosure to a specifically named person, and also provides the address of that authorized person where DMV will send the information.

IPA Record Amendment Procedure

IPA Record Amendment Procedure:  A person may submit a written request asking DMV to make a correction to the records received.

To make an IPA Record Amendment Request, a person must submit a written request with the subject line: “IPA Record Amendment Request.”

The written request must identify the specific information in the record that the person is contesting and wants corrected, and explain in detail the reasons why the person believes the amendment should be made.  The written request should also include all relevant documentation or information supporting the request so that DMV can make a decision.

Within 30 days of DMV’s receipt of an IPA Record Amendment Request that is submitted to DMV in compliance with these procedures, DMV will provide a response to inform the individual of any record amendments made in accordance with the request, and/or inform the individual of DMV’s refusal to amend the record along with the reason therefore, and also inform the individual of the procedures that may be followed for the individual to seek review of DMV’s decision.

If DMV refuses to make a requested correction/amendment, then DMV’s response will identify the DMV official who is designated to review the decision, including that official’s name, title and business address.

IPA Amendment Decision Review Procedure

Review of DMV’s decision on an individual’s IPA Record Amendment Request may be obtained as follows.

After receiving DMV’s response to an IPA Record Amendment Request, if a person wants a review of DMV’s decision refusing to make a requested correction/amendment, then a person may obtain review of that decision by submitting a written request with the subject line: IPA Amendment Decision Review. That written request for review must be mailed to the designated official and address identified in DMV’s decision responding to the IPA Record Amendment Request.

The written request must include an explanation of why the person disagrees with DMV’s decision, and any additional supporting documents and information that the person has not previously submitted to DMV as part of that person’s IPA Record Amendment Request.

After receiving a person’s written request for an IPA Amendment Decision Review, DMV will review the decision, complete the review, and make a final determination within 30 days of receipt unless, for good cause shown, that review period is extended up to an additional 30 days.

If, after review, DMV refuses to amend the record in accordance with the person’s request, then DMV will give notice of that Final Determination to the requesting person.

Thereafter, a person may submit within a reasonable time a statement of reasonable length that sets forth the reasons for the individual’s disagreement with DMV’s Final Determination.

If a person chooses to submit this written Statement of Disagreement to DMV, then that person must mail it to DMV’s reviewing official who made the Final Determination, at the address provided therein, and in an envelope that is marked: IPA Statement of Disagreement.

IPA Dispute Notification

If an individual follows these Guidelines and files a Statement of Disagreement, then DMV will clearly note any portion of the record which is disputed, and make available the Statement of Disagreement and DMV’s reason for not making the requested amendment, to any person or agency receiving the disputed record information from DMV.