Each state is responsible for their state's motor vehicle reports. Private companies contract with the state to be a distributor of that public information, either directly to the consumer or to an insurance company.

There are several centralized data warehouses that allow authorized companies or individuals to get information on you, such as your motor vehicle record (MVR). Choicepoint is one such private company that collects public record information including government documents like your MVR that is reported by your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Data companies do not allow private individuals to request information through their website or by mail, unless the information is necessary or legal to disclose to the consumer. Many states regulate all personal information for security purposes. These companies are used by those with a corporate account (like an insurance company), law enforcement or those with related professional licenses (perhaps a lawyer).

These data warehouse companies do not create the information in its possession so thus cannot correct the information that is being reported. These companies, that provide MVRs and other reports to the insurance companies, only collect the information they warehouse. If there is an error in the public record information, it is most likely due to the source of the data providing inaccurate information.

A data warehousing company may be able to guide you to the original source of their information so that information can be corrected. To get a copy of your driving record you can contact your state's DMV and if you see inaccuracies in it request that they be corrected by the DMV. This should help your insurance agent to get the right information next time they pull up your MVR.

Our article What Your Auto Insurer Knows About You may also be helpful to you. Typically, if your rate is negatively affected by information received from a data warehouse, the data collection company has a process in place to help you learn what caused a change:

In certain states, we use information from A Data Collection Company to help predict the potential for insurance losses. For almost all insurance companies, a higher potential for loss translates into higher premiums. If you have questions concerning the information in your motor vehicle report or consumer report, or if any information is inaccurate, please contact The Data Collection Company directly and provide your driver’s license number. You can also get a free copy of the report used if you contact The Data Collection Company within XX days (set by states).

Typically, the insurer will replace "The Data Collection Company" with the private company they have contracted with to obtain MVRs.