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Order your driver abstract →When you need information about your driving history, it is easy to assume that a Freedom of Information (FOI) request is the most comprehensive way to get it. Ontario has a dedicated process for standard driver abstracts and driver’s licence histories, however, and it identifies those records as information obtained outside the FOI request process.
Use the driving-record service for a standard abstract
If an employer, insurer or organization asks for a three-year Ontario driver abstract, start by identifying the exact record requested. Ontario’s regular driving-record service explains the three-year record, driver’s licence history, certification options and ordering methods. A three-year record includes specified recent conviction and suspension information and the demerit-point total; a licence history serves a different purpose and does not include conviction and suspension information.
For help deciding between these documents, see our three-year versus five-year driving-record guide and our abstract versus licence-history explanation.
When might FOI be appropriate?
Ontario’s driver-and-vehicle information guidance gives examples of information that may be requested through FOI, including driver medical review files, certain highway camera footage, highway maintenance records and information about commercial-vehicle enforcement or investigations. These are not interchangeable with an ordinary driver abstract. Access to a particular file may depend on privacy rules, exemptions and the scope of the request.
What should you ask the organization requesting your information?
Ask whether it wants a standard three-year record, a longer-term record, a driver’s licence history, or a specific file that is not supplied through the normal record-ordering service. Also confirm whether certification is required. This avoids paying for a document that cannot answer the requester’s question.
Where to go next
For a standard three-year record, review the Driver Abstract service and order information. If you need information outside the regular record products, consult Ontario’s driver and vehicle information request guidance, which also provides contact details for the Ministry’s FOI office. An FOI request is not a shortcut to an ordinary abstract.
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