Driver Abstract — glossary

Abstract

A name used for a driver record; context is still needed to identify the specific product.

Licence history

A distinct record focused on licensing history, including changes and beginner-course completion.

Certified copy

A copy identified by Ontario as carrying a Ministry seal.

Uncertified record

An uncertified record is supplied without the certification attached to a certified copy. Ontario describes certified records as carrying a Ministry seal. Certification is a document characteristic to check alongside the named product; it is separate from the number of years covered and the choice between a driver record and licence history.

Ask the recipient which certification status it requires before choosing an ordering route. MDA's standard personal-record service is for an Ontario uncertified three-year record. That service description does not establish acceptance by every recipient, and an order for an uncertified copy should not be assumed to include a certified copy as well.

Vehicle record

A vehicle record is a product about a vehicle rather than an individual driver's licence history. Ontario lists vehicle searches separately from driver-record searches. Its uncertified vehicle-record service also describes limits on personal information, including the absence of the driver's licence number, owner name and personal address.

The word abstract can appear in informal requests about either subject, so first determine whether the requester needs a vehicle document or a driver document. A three-year driver record does not become a vehicle record because the driver uses a particular car. The MDA driver-record checkout is not the route described here for a vehicle search.

Extended or complete record

Extended and complete driving records are named options in Ontario's longer-term record guidance. They should be compared using their actual official descriptions instead of treating the word complete as a casual request for any available abstract. The common three-year record, licence history and longer-term options are separate product choices.

If a message asks for a full history, obtain the intended product name and the information the recipient wants to see. A longer title does not establish that one document covers every question or jurisdiction. Follow Ontario's instructions for these options; the linked MDA three-year service does not claim to supply an extended or complete record.