Accessing Florida DWI Records

DWI stands for “driving while intoxicated” and a DWI charge is almost identical to a driving under the influence (of alcohol and/or other drugs) or DUI charge.  A person is charged with a DWI offense if he or she is found guilty of driving a vehicle when intoxicated by alcohol, banned drugs, or some kinds of prescribed medications. Such charges can be applied not only to automobiles like cars, motorcycles, and trucks, but also to vehicles used for both personal and commercial purposes. Thus it is illegal to also operate a boat, an aircraft, farm machinery like tractor, jet-ski, horse-drawn carriages, or any other type of machinery when impaired by alcohol or other drugs.

Florida DWI Laws

The Florida DWI laws adhere to the general drunk driving rules that have been adopted by all US states since August 2005.

As per these laws, any person in Florida can be charged with committing a DWI offense if s/he is found to be driving a vehicle when his/her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08 percent or more. In such an instance, no additional evidence of impairment is necessary to file a charge sheet.

The Florida DWI laws also encompass the “Zero Tolerance” BAC Level rule. This rule is applicable to all persons under the age of 21 years, which is the legal drinking age in the state. According to this rule, a DWI charge can be slapped on any driver less than 21 years of age, if s/he has any trace of alcohol in the body, which means that s/he has a BAC level that is more than 0.0. Possessing even minuscule BAC levels like .01 or .02 will invite a DWI charge.

There are stricter Florida laws for DWI offenders found to possess high BAC levels at the time of offense. This applies to levels of .15 to .20 percent and persons possessing such levels are meted out harsher punishments and penalties.

It is worth noting that if you have been suspected or convicted of a DWI charge in Florida, you will be required to undergo some form of chemical testing like a breath, blood, or urine test. This is the implied consent law and is the norm here. If you refuse to take the test, your driver’s license will be suspended for any length of time ranging from six months to a year.

Florida DWI Records

You might need to search Florida DWI records for a variety of reasons: you have hired a new chauffeur or a new driver for your company and you need to verify his/her driving history; you are a law enforcement officer and need to cross-check the driver license status of a driver; or you need to check if your driver license contains charges of any DWI offense. Florida DWI records have been hosted on the public domains and the search procedures have been simplified so that it is easy for all to carry out searches.

You can obtain Florida DWI records from a host of sources, both state and federal. The National Driver Register (NDR) is a central database that houses information on all drivers with US licenses whose driving privileges have been revoked, canceled, or suspended for violating any traffic rules or having been charged of committing a DWI offense. This information is provided by the departments of motor vehicles of the various states.

If you run a company of motor vehicle operators and want to check the driving records of a present or prospective driver, run a NDR file check. Complete the Current or Prospective Employee Form http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/NCSA/Content/PDF/form.pdf and send it to the respective state motor vehicles department. The state motor vehicle agency for Florida is housed at the Bureau of Records, P.O Box 5775, Tallahassee, FL 32314-5775.

In many instances, state driver licensing authorities request NDR file checks to check if a person’s driver license has been suspended or canceled in another state.

You may want to check if you are listed in the NDR for committing a DWI offense. In that case, you will have to fill out the Individual Request Form, notarize it, and mail it to the NDR Office at 400 7th Street, SW., Room 6124A (NPO-124,) Washington, DC 20590-0001. You may also submit a request for a Florida DWI search by sending a notarized letter along with all the information contained in the Individual Request Form. The form or the notarized letter can be submitted at the office of the state motor vehicle agency. They will charge a fee for dispatching this to the NDR office. You will however, receive the requested information directly from the NDR office.

Keep in mind that NDR requests cannot be sent via fax.

A driver license check is always the best way to verify if someone is driving with a suspended license. A license check also provides information on whether the person has been charged with committing a DWI crime. You can request a driver license check at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website, https://www6.hsmv.state.fl.us/DLCheck/main.jsp. You will need to provide the driver license number of the person.

Florida DWI records are also documented at certain other websites, where these are organized under county heads. It is thus very convenient to conduct a Florida DWI records search here.

As per the guidelines laid down by the Privacy Act, a driving record search result will only contain information related to a person’s driving history. Specifically, a NDR record contains these bits of information: the full name of the driver, his/her date of birth, gender, driver license number, and the name of the state where his/her license is registered. No personal information like the Social Security Number is provided in these results.

A Florida DWI records search is an effective tool to bring down instances of drivers operating vehicles on suspended licenses and to ensure that you are handing the keys of your vehicle to someone who does not have a history of DWI charges against him/her. This is the only way to ensure that the roads of Florida remain safe.