Department of Motor Vehicles

COMPASS Search Accounts 

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I forgot my COMPASS password  

What is COMPASS? 

Common Portal to Search Services (COMPASS) is a DMV electronic record search application that allows government users to search license, registration, title, inspection and insurance records.  It is a key application for most NYS DMV employees and serves over 20,000 users among numerous government entities.  

A COMPASS user enters Name, Client Identification Number, Plate or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and receives a display of a driving, registration, title, inspection or insurance record. 

See Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) for more information about permissible uses of DMV records 

Who can have a COMPASS account and how can I apply?  

Individuals employed by a government organization; volunteer fire company; volunteer ambulance service; or a legal aid bureau or society or other private entity acting pursuant to section 722 of the New York State County Law, that makes a search for a public purpose are entitled to have a COMPASS search account. 

To obtain a COMPASS search account, you must complete the Motor Vehicle Record Search Account Application (PDF) (MV-15D) and send the completed application to [email protected]. 

District Attorneys may enhance their COMPASS displays to show ticket records. A District Attorney who wishes to view ticket records may file Tickets In COMPASS Application (PDF) (MV-15TKT) along with their Motor Vehicle Record Search Account Application (PDF) (MV-15D). 

Are there fees for using COMPASS? 

No. Any public organization, its officers, a volunteer fire company, a volunteer ambulance service, or a legal aid bureau or society or other private entity acting pursuant to section 722 of the New York State County Law, that makes a search for a public purpose, is exempt from search fees.

How will I know my application has been accepted? 

We will review your application. If your application is not complete, we will return your application with an explanation that will give you more instructions. 

If your application is complete, we will create an account for you and send your username and password.  

What business records must I keep documenting the searches I perform? 

The business records you keep must exist prior to the search you perform and must establish the business purpose of the search. 

Common examples of business records include, employment applications, consent forms, accident reports and numerous other types of records.  The Terms of Service of your Search Account require you to maintain these records and to provide them to DMV when requested. 

Will DMV contact me about the searches I perform using COMPASS? 

Yes, DMV may ask you about a COMPASS search you performed. We inquire about searches to monitor compliance with the COMPASS Terms of Service. 

You must respond to the inquiry whether or not you have business records that support your search. Your response will be considered an incomplete reply if you do not give us the business records.  You can complete an inquiry at any time if you send us the requested acceptable business records.  

If you personally did not perform the search we have inquired about, contact us immediately. 

If you do not respond to our inquiry about a COMPASS search, your search privileges will be suspended until you respond. 

Will you tell a motorist if I searched their records? 

Yes. Records of searches are public records. If a motorist asks the DMV if their records were searched, the DMV supplies them with the name and organization of the COMPASS account holder, and the time, date and search criteria used to search for the records.