The Department of Motor Vehicles in every state maintains a driving record for all licensed drivers. That record reveals the violations, accidents, and points charged to that driver for a proscribed period of time which differs by state. In some states, those convictions remain on a person's record for 3 years, others for 5 years, and others for 11 years. More serious violations, like DUI or vehicular manslaughter, may remain on a person's record longer, even indefinitely. The results of having those violations on your driving record are serious. They influence your insurance rates, penalties for additional driving offenses, and even job applications and security checks. If you have an earlier conviction and have remained clean for a designated period, in some cases 5 years, you can have an attorney expunge your record. It takes several months and is a complex process, but in some cases, your record may show that your previous conviction never happened.