I'm a very good driver...

April 5, 2007 6:28 PM

How do I find out my previous driver's license #? I traded in my out of state because it expired, but zipcar needs to know my previous DL # to see my past driving history. Can't find it, I feel like maybe you can't just call the dmv and ask for it.
posted by snofoam to Travel & Transportation (14 answers total)

Is zipcar insurance? Why can't they get this info based on your SSN?
posted by joannemerriam at 6:42 PM on April 5, 2007

I imagine you're not the first person to encounter this problem... If you call Zipcar and talk to them about it, you may find that they'll be able to find your driving history by talking to your old state's DMV/BMV/RMV and giving them the other information they have about you. (full name, old address, old phone number, or even your social security number.)
posted by inatizzy at 6:44 PM on April 5, 2007

And for those of you who aren't familiar with Zipcar - here's their website.
posted by inatizzy at 6:45 PM on April 5, 2007

Call your insurance agent you had out of state.
posted by birdherder at 6:52 PM on April 5, 2007

No, you totally can call the DOL to get it (not the DMV). I work at a driving school and talked to the DOL auditor about this a few weeks ago. In fact, here in Washington you can even figure out what it is based on your last name and your birthday.

If you are in Washington, email me (in profile), and I dan give you more info.
posted by rossination at 6:53 PM on April 5, 2007

I just had this problem moving from Ohio to Massachusetts (and Ohio purges their records every three years ... at one point I was going to be charged $3k for a year since I was a "brand new driver" according to Massachusetts). I ended up getting a letter form my old insurance company agreeing that they had been insuring me since a certain date. They also had one of my latest driver's license numbers that I was able to use to get a history from the state of Ohio DMV.

However, there was no "but you have my SSN!" that would have made it easier. Sometimes I think the whole national ID thing would actually make my life more convenient.
posted by olinerd at 7:02 PM on April 5, 2007

Best answer: Call the DMV in the previous state. They will be able to give it to you. When I moved from Illinois to Maryland, I did the same thing. I got a new DL before I set-up my new insurance. When I was talking to the insurance agent on the phone, she even gave me the direct phone number to the Illinois DMV so that I could call and get my old DL number. It was surprisingly simple.
posted by marcusb at 7:47 PM on April 5, 2007

You should check to see if the license in your state is issued by the Department of Licensing or the Department of Motor Vehicles. In many states (most?), it is the DOL, and the DMV won't be able to help you.

Just trying to save you some time on hold...
posted by rossination at 11:00 PM on April 5, 2007

You should check to see if the license in your state is issued by the Department of Licensing or the Department of Motor Vehicles. In many states (most?), it is the DOL, and the DMV won't be able to help you.

Just to add another TLA to the mix, here in GA it is the Department of Driver Services that now issues licenses. A google on "(statename) drivers license" should get you the appropriate authority with contact information.
posted by TedW at 5:09 AM on April 6, 2007

Would have any other documents that may have your old licence number? I'm thinking specifically of old cancelled checks (or the carbons from your old checkbooks) on which you may have written or had printed your DL#.
posted by JigSawMan at 5:16 AM on April 6, 2007

When I signed up for PhillyCarShare (similar to zipcar) I had a few old checks from Michigan with my MI DL# on it. Maybe you have something like that?

Otherwise, just call zipcar (if you haven't already) and tell them your situation. I mean, quite honestly, who the heck knows/remembers their old DL#s?
posted by misanthropicsarah at 6:28 AM on April 6, 2007

A little off-topic, but one thing to be careful about with these car-sharing services is that, when they include insurance, it is often really crappy insurance with the state minimums. In an accident, you are still going to be liable for the damages you cause to the property and person of others, and the crappy 10/30/10 insurance or whatever the state minimum requirements are is not going to go very far towards protecting you. If you have any assets, it probably makes sense to have another policy. Not sure if the "rental insurance" you get with some credit cards when you use them to rent the vehicle would apply to a car-sharing service - it seems like it might not.
posted by jcwagner at 10:08 AM on April 6, 2007

Response by poster: wow, thanks for all the info! fyi, i would have thought i'd have my old license # stored somewhere, but I live in NYC and haven't owned a car in about 6 years and haven't written a check besides to my landlord in years, either. I looked at my car rental forms, but I couldn't find any with my license # on them.
posted by snofoam at 12:16 PM on April 6, 2007

Response by poster: Oregon DMV told me!!! Yay! I didn't even get put on hold, someone actually just answered after two rings.
posted by snofoam at 12:20 PM on April 6, 2007