policy, insurance companies will ask for information about your insurance claims history. You can check your claims history by contacting your current insurer.

Additionally, your new insurance provider will run a comprehensive loss underwriting exchange (CLUE) report and a motor vehicle report (MVR) when they write your policy. You can obtain a copy of your CLUE report from Lexis-Nexus, and you can get a copy of your MVR from your state’s DMV.

The Basics: What are your car insurance records?

The primary way to access your car insurance records is via a CLUE report. This type of insurance record pulls insurance information about your vehicle, including records of claims made by you or any previous vehicle owners.

Your car insurance records include information about any accidents, collisions, traffic violations, or insurance claims you may have been involved in within the past three to seven years. This helps insurance companies better understand how risky it will be to have you as a policyholder.

While your Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) are not technically car insurance records, they also have a big impact on your car insurance premiums. Your MVR is your official driving history record, including information about previous traffic violations, accidents, and other driving-related offenses on your MVR.

What are insurance records used for?
Any potential auto insurance providers will look at your car insurance records and claims history from at least the past 36 months. Providers may look for things like license suspensions, moving violations, past claims, and more to determine if you’re a high-risk driver.

Why should you check your car insurance records?

Mistakes on your car insurance records can cause you to overpay for car insurance. Additionally, knowing your claims history will give you an idea of what to expect from new insurance companies in terms of car insurance quotes, discounts, and rate increases.

To avoid paying too much for insurance due to errors on your CLUE report or MVR, it’s a good idea to check your records at least once a year or whenever you’re making any big changes to your insurance policy.

Where to get your vehicle’s auto insurance claims history

To access your vehicle’s auto insurance claims history, request a report online or contact your current car insurance provider for more information. The experts at Jerry even put together a guide to simplify your search:

Obtain a CLUE report through LexisNexis

To check your claims history report online, you can request your (CLUE) report directly through

LexisNexis

via their website or their toll-free number, 1-866-312-8076.1

LexisNexis is a consumer reporting agency that offers this free claims history service, which allows you to access and download your claims history report for up to 30 days. You can also dispute any incorrect information on your CLUE report via LexisNexis.

Contact your current insurance provider for your claims history

Your current car insurance provider will have an up-to-date record of your car insurance claim history. To access your claims history, contact your current insurance agent. They will ask for the following information:

Your full name

Your policy number

Vehicle information (make, model, year)

Your date of birth

The date range of the claims history you want to access

Once you provide all of this information, your car insurance company can tell you more about all previous claims made for your vehicle. This type of insurance record is called a Letter of Experience and is only valid if printed on company letterhead and signed by an authorized representative.

Get your MVR from the DMV

To see records of your driving history, including any accidents, traffic violations, and license sanctions, you’ll need to check your motor vehicle record (MVR). It should include your name, date of birth, driver's license number, and any traffic violations or infractions on your record.2

To access your MVR, you’ll need to contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Visit your local DMV or check your state’s DMV website to learn more about the request process in your state.

While an MVR isn’t an insurance record, it’s still important when determining your rates. Insurance providers use your MVR to determine how likely you are to make an auto insurance claim in the future, so checking this report for errors could save you from paying too much for your insurance.

What should you do if you have a bad record?

Even if you have an extensive claims history, don’t fret—some providers are more forgiving of previous claims than others, so you may still be able to save.

If your car insurance rates are high, try these tips to lower your premiums:

Add safety features that help you

qualify for additional discounts

Take a defensive driving course to reduce your rates

Check your credit report and try to improve your credit score

How long do car insurance claims affect your rates?

Car insurance claims will typically affect your insurance cost for between three and five years. However, some insurance carriers may look for claims information from up to seven years ago.

Depending on the type of claim(s) you’ve made in the past, your rates could be impacted in different ways. It will be much harder to find cheap car insurance with recent at-fault claims on your record, for example, since at-fault accidents represent a higher risk for insurance companies.

When determining your rates, your insurance company may look at factors like fault, the type of loss suffered, the payout you received from your current insurer, and any other claims information that may be relevant.

To better illustrate just how much your CLUE report can impact your rates, our experts analyzed thousands of car insurance policies purchased by real Jerry users.

Insurance company	Average	After claim (% change)	After at-fault accident (% change)
AAA	$160	$230 (44%)	$266 (66%)
Allstate	$142	$200 (41%)	$229 (61%)
Clearcover	$98	$140 (43%)	$158 (61%)
Founders	$113	$152 (35%)	$208 (84%)
MAPFRE	$136	$183 (35%)	$253 (86%)
National General	$152	$182 (20%)	$231 (52%)
Nationwide	$108	$158 (46%)	$200 (85%)
Progressive	$129	$175 (36%)	$212 (64%)
Safe Auto	$161	$181 (12%)	$248 (54%)
State Auto	$110	$165 (50%)	$208 (89%)
Travelers	$100	$129 (29%)	$161 (61%)

FAQ

How can you check your driving record?

You can request a copy of your driving record through your local DMV. Depending on where you live, this may be done in person, via mail, or online on your state’s DMV website. There may also be a fee associated with this request. Contact your local DMV to learn more.

Why do car insurance companies look back three years?

Auto insurance companies will typically only look into three years’ worth of insurance history as that is the legal requirement in most states. However, some insurance companies will look back as many as five years before determining your new insurance premium. This helps providers determine if you’re a high-risk driver before offering insurance coverage at a low rate.

How do vehicle history reports affect your car insurance rates?

Your car’s vehicle history report will usually have little impact on your car insurance rates. Still, before you purchase a used car, it’s a good idea to request a

CARFAX

report or a similar background check to see any previous repairs, mileage disparities, or title changes that could impact your vehicle’s functioning in the future.

Meet our experts

Liz Jenson

Liz Jenson is an insurance writer who specializes in general automotive and insurance topics. Liz’s mission is to produce informative and useful content to help car owners make smart choices when buying cars and car insurance. Since joining Jerry in 2021, Liz has written nearly 4,000 long- and short-form articles on topics including state-specific insurance recommendations, common car insurance questions, and deep dives into vehicle model details.

Before they came to Jerry, Liz was a full-time student at Indiana University, Bloomington working on a double major in English and French.

Amy Bobinger

Licensed Insurance Agent — Expert Insurance Editor

Expert insurance writer and editor Amy Bobinger specializes in car repair, car maintenance, and car insurance. Amy is passionate about creating content that helps consumers navigate challenges related to car ownership and achieve financial success in areas relating to cars.

Amy has over 10 years of writing and editing experience. After several years as a freelance writer, Amy spent four years as an editing fellow at WikiHow, where she co-authored over 600 articles on topics including car maintenance and home ownership. Since joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2022, Amy has edited over 2,500 articles on car insurance, state driving laws, and car repair and maintenance.

SOURCES

https://oci.wi.gov/Documents/Consumers/PI-207.pdf

https://www.mvronline.com/resource/why-review-mvrs/