Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Are there any other fees?

  • After the initial Activation Fee, ADD does not charge a monthly or renewal fee. If your account falls inactive for more than 6 months, you will be charged a $15.00 a month maintenance fee. This fee will stop upon restored activity.

Question: Can I get insurance information on a vehicle?

  • By Florida law, only four specific industries have access to insurance information via our system. These are limited to the following: an insurance company representing a person involved in a motor vehicle accident, an attorney representing a person involved in a motor vehicle accident, a licensed private investigator representing a person involved in a motor vehicle accident or working on behalf of an attorney representing a person involved in a motor vehicle accident, and Towing Companies for notification of towing and storage liens. The criteria for these searches requires the vehicle identification number (VIN), the person involved in the accident, the date of the crash and the crash report number.

Question: Can I pay by credit card and is my information safe?

  • After the initial account activation, ADD accepts MasterCard, VISA, and American Express payments via its web site. For your added security, we use a secure, third party credit card administrator. ADD does not record or store your credit card information.

Question: Can my account be activated today?

  • No. Due to the sensitive nature of the personal information disclosed, Auto Data Direct, Inc. requires Account Agreements and User Registrations with original signatures be delivered to our office before an account will be activated. In most cases, we will activate within one business day of the required agreement, registration and activation fee arriving in our office. You may wish to send your forms and payment via overnight delivery to the address provided as part of the Account Activation process.

Question: Do I need to fill in VIN, Title AND Tag Number to receive a record?

  • No. Choose one of the search criteria before clicking on the "Query" button.

Question: Do I pay for "Record Not Found" response?

  • Yes. For vehicle searches and drivers license statuses, the DHSMV considers a "Record Not Found" response to be a valid response and a completed transaction and you will be charged your normal fee. However, a "Record Not Found" return on a Driver License History (MVR) is not charged.

Question: Does ADD store the applications and forms that I have created?

  • Yes. Any form you have created is stored for 90 days in your "Archive". These may be re-viewed and reprinted without charge. These forms are also searchable by VIN.

Question: How do I get a driver License history (MVR) with only a name and date of birth?

  • To obtain a Driver License history with only a name and date-of-birth (DOB), you must first run a driver License status from the License Query page with the name, DOB, and sex. The status record will give you the Driver License number from which you can run an MVR.

Question: How do I pay?

  • To activate your account, ADD requires payment in the form of a check or money order. Upon receipt, ADD will activate the prepaid account for your company. When your account balance runs low, you have the option of mailing a check, conducting an ACH (e-check) transfer, or using a MasterCard, VISA, or American Express credit card to replenish your account instantaneously online.

Question: How do I print a title application once I have successfully pulled up a vehicle record?

  • You must have Adobe Acrobat on your system to print an application. To print a title application of Notice of Claim of Lien letter, choose the type of letter you would like to print form the "Select Form Type" drop down list at the top of the vehicle data screen and click the "Open PDF Application" button. complete the requested information on the "DMV Form Completion" page and click the "Complete Form button. The system will open Acrobat Reader in another window and build the form. Once the process is complete, the form will appear on your screen for your review. If changes are necessary, close the Form Window, change the information on the "DMV Form Completion" page and click the "Complete Form" button. You may print or save the form as desired.

Question: How do I sign up with Auto Data Direct?

  • Our Account Activation program will assist you in completing the required forms: an "Electronic Records Account Agreement" and an "Eletronic Records User Registration" for each User. Once completed and printed, a company must submit the original "Account Agreement" that is signed by a company officer. A "User Registration" must be completed and signed by each company employee who will be granted access to the ADD system and the company's account. The Account Activation system will print the appropriate instructions, forms and rates for submitting the orginal paperwork, based on the location of your company.

Question: How long will I have to wait to get a response from ADD?

  • Once you have entered your search criteria and click on the "Query" button, your wait time will depend on the speed of your Internet connection. In most cases, a response will appear in approximately 10 seconds.

Question: How much does it cost to view records in my Record Archive?

  • Records can be viewed for 90 days free of charge.

Question: How much does this service cost?

  • To activate an account with ADD there is a one-time activation fee of $100.00 and an initial prepaid account deposit of $50.00. ADD charges a "per inquiry" fee on each record. Once an account has been activated, the cost of each transaction is deducted from the account balance. When the balance of the account reaches $0.00, access to ADD will be denied until the account is replenished. Please visit our Price List for your area to see a complete list of per-transaction fees.

Question: How will I know when I am running low or have run out of money in my account?

  • Your current account balance is provided each time a query is submitted. The balance is located at the top left corner of the web page after your company and user name in a gray bar. We suggest that you determine how long it will take your company to process a payment and make arrangements for payments early enough to prevent your account from being depleted. Once the account is depleted, the system will no longer allow you to run queries until the account is replenished. You may add money to your account by mailing a check to our office or you may add money by check or credit card online.

Question: How will I receive my Password?

  • Each registered User will receive his/her Username and Password via the email address requested on the User Registration form along with basic instructions on how to enter and begin using the ADD system.

Question: I am sure that the VIN I am entering is correct but I still get a "Record Not Found" response - Why?

  • A VIN is a very specific 17-digit code of alpha and numeric identifiers that has been standardized by the motor vehicle industry since 1981. Before transmitting any VIN to the Florida DHSMV to access the record, we compare the VIN entered to a database of the standard VIN codes, in an effort to save you money by capturing any VINs that have been entered incorrectly, causing a "Record Not Found" response and charge. If you receive this message and the car model is later than 1981, you may click the button that says "Transmit VIN", which will transmit the VIN exactly as you entered it, or you can click "Re-Enter VIN", which will take you back to the Vehicle Query page. We recommend that anytime you receive this message, you inspect the actual VIN on the vehicle to verify the information you have entered.

Question: I am sure the tag that I am entering is correct but I still get a "Record Not Found" response - Why?

  • When entering a tag, there is no letter "O". The "O" should be entered as a zero and there should be no spaces or dashes entered. It is possible that the tag is no longer valid, meaning that it has been retired, and would not appear on the current database. The tag is not associated with a vehicle or registrant and a current record does not exist.

Question: I am trying to run a Driver License status using the driver's name and DOB and I keep getting a "Record Not Found" response. Why?

  • The name, date of birth and sex criteria must be entered exactly as it appears on the Florida Driver License, or a "Record Not Found" response will occur. The DHSMV will not return data for partial orincorrect search criteria (i.e. incorrectly spelled names, missing middle initials or incorrect DOB). The DHSMV databases are not intuitive, so if you enter "Jim," the database will not search for "James." If there is no known Middle Name or Initial, enter an asterisk(*) in the field.

Question: I have successfully logged in, what's next?

  • After Users login, the Vehicle Query or License Query page appears, depending on your initial choice. This page displays your Real Name, Company Name and Account Balance. You may query the DHSMV databases using information you have available to you.

Question: I was logged off by the system or lost my Internet connection hadn't finished with the record I was viewing. Do I have to pay for that record query again?

  • If the transaction was initiated before the connection was lost, you will be charged. However, that record will be available to you through your "Archive" for 90 days, and may be reviewed free of charge. If the record does not appear in your "Archive", the transaction was not completed and you were not charged for the query. Please be aware that the records that appear in your archive are no longer "real-time" but stored data from the original query. If you feel that the data may have changed since the original query, we suggest that you run the query again.

Question: Is there any way that I can view the payments credited to my accouont and when they were credited?

  • All debits and credits are posted on the "Payment History" page along with any appropriate comments or explanations.

Question: May I allow my employees to login under my Username and Password?

  • No. ADD requires that each User have their own Username and Password to access the databases. Each User is solely responsible for the personal information they access. A record is kept of each transaction and it can be traced back to the individual User. There is no additional charge to add Users to an account. Detection of a shared password will cause the deactivation of that Username and Password.

Question: My company requires an invoice before it will cut a check. How do I get one from ADD?

  • Any User can create an Auto Data Direct invoice for their company online using Acrobat Reader. Once you login, select the "My Account" menu option then select the "Add Credit", enter the amount that you would like to be invoiced, then click the "View Invoice" button. Then simply print the Invoice from the Acrobat Reader window. Close the invoice window when the printing is complete and submit your Internet Invoice to your Accounts Payable department.

Question: Other than the time frame, is there a diference between a three-year, seven-year and complete Driver License History?

  • Yes. A three-year and seven-year driving history contains only infractions that have been adjudicated by the courts during that time frame. Ex: If you receive a ticket and then go to driving school to have the points removed from your record, those points and the infraction are considered "adjudication withheld" and will not appear on the three-year or seven-year record. Non-moving violations will also appear on a three-year and seven-year driving history. Insurance rates are most commonly based on a three-year driving history.

    A complete driving history contains all driving infractions and correspondences from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to the driver over the past eleven years, as well as infractions reported by other states. Serious infractions may remain longer than eleven years.

Question: What do I need to print Title applications?

  • In order to print title applications from our system, you will need Acrobat Reader (Version 6.0 or higher) on your system. If you need this software, it is a free download and only takes a few minutes to complete. Click here to be directed to the Adobe Acrobat website. From there click the "Get Acrobat Reader - Free" link at the bottom of the page and follow the directions that appear on the screen.

Question: What does "Record Not Found" mean?

  • When the message "Record Not Found" is returned after running a query, it means that there is no record in the FL DHSMV database that matches the search criteria you have entered. Either the vehicle or driver is not registered or titled in the State of Florida or you have entered the criteria (VIN, Tag, Title, or Driver License number) incorrectly. The query data you requested is provided exactly as entered on the "Record Not Found" return message so that you may recheck your entry.

Question: What is a Driver License History (MVR)?

  • A Driver License History (MVR) includes the same information as a driving status record plus driving infractions. By using a person's Driver License number, you can obtain either a three-year, seven-year or complete (eleven-year) Driver License History.

Question: What is a Reference-ID?

  • Reference-ID is a record identification tool provided free of charge by ADD. The Reference-ID can be any information that you wish to associate with the record in your "DMV Record Archive" to help you remember for whom or why you ran the record. It can be a name, account number, policy number or any information of your choosing. The Reference-ID will print on any printout you make of the queried information and may be used as search criteria within your "Archive." This field is not required to request information from the DHSMV and it is not transmitted with your query. Be sure to inter your Reference-ID BEFORE you click on the "Query" button.

Question: What is Auto Data Direct?

  • Auto Data Direct, Inc. (ADD) was established in 1999 to provide qualified businesses real time Internet access to Florida motor vehicle and Driver License information directly from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) databases.

Question: What is included in a Driver License status record?

  • A Driver License status record includes the most current address on file with the DHSMV, the DL number and a VALID or INVALID status. You can obtain this information by entering a Driver License number OR the name, date-of-birth, and sex or the person for which you are searching. Photographs are not available.

Question: What is included in a vehicle or vessel record?

  • A vehicle or vessel record includes make, model, year, vessel type, brand (i.e. stolen, flood, etc.), odometer and other information as well as current owner, registrant and lien holder's names and addresses. Vehicle information can be obtained by entering either a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), tag, decal or title number. Vessel information can be obtained by entering a Hull ID or "FL" number (decal).

Question: What type of information is available?

  • Information available from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) via Auto Data Direct, Inc. Includes:

    • Vehicle, vessel, mobile home and recreational vehicle owner, registrant and lien holder information.
    • Driver License status information including Name, date-of-birth, and current address on file with the DHSMV.
    • Driver License History (MVR) information in three-year, seven-year, and complete (eleven-year) formats.
    • Name Search capabilities using the Name-to-Title database, providing a list of Title numbers using a persons name and other criteria.
    • All Vehicles associated with a Florida Driver License.

Question: Who can obtain Florida motor vehicle and driver license records from Auto Data Direct (ADD)?

  • Businesses who can demonstrate a need for access to this personal information for reasons acceptable under the Federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (FDPPA), such as an automobile dealership, bank, insurance company, employment agency, attorney, private investigator, or towing company. Click here to view the FDPPA.

Question: Why does the system keep logging me off?

  • After fifteen minutes of inactivity, the system will automatically log the User out of the system. This is a security measure put in place to protect the User and the privacy of the records.

Question: Why won't the system recognize my Password?

  • Auto Data Direct issues each User a Username and Password. Both the Username and Password are case sensitive. Make sure that your "CAPS LOCK" is not engaged before you login and enter the Username and Password exactly as they were issued to you. If the problem persists, please contact us.