What Are MVR And Clue Reports?
When buying shopping for insurance your agent or carrier may reference two reports knowing as MVR and CLUE reports. The average person however is unfamiliar with either of these reports, what they mean or what is on them.
In this blog post we’ll dive into what these reports are, how they are used and what, if anything you can do if the information on them incorrect.
Of course, just a reminder that each state may have different rules and regulations regarding these reports. If you have specific questions, we highly recommend talking to your agent or carrier.
C.L.U.E. Reports
Clue reports, officially known as Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (C.L.U.E.), is a reporting database maintained by Lexis Nexis. Most large insurance companies subscribe to this service that contains a history of all known claims reported. Below is the official description from LexisNexis website.
Our Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (C.L.U.E.®) is a claim history information exchange containing up to seven years of personal automobile claims information. When you submit an inquiry, we match the search criteria and return a C.L.U.E. report that contains vital information about the driver, vehicles, policy and reported claims.
You likely have never heard of LexisNexis or a CLUE report. But the information in the system absolutely matters to you as an insurance shopper. Even if you don’t tell your agent about your claims, in most instances your insurance company will pull a CLUE report before offering you insurance. Every claims – from large claims to a crack windshield you had replaced will be there.
While a CLUE report can include up to 7 years of information, depending on your state and carrier they may only use 3 or 5 years worth of data.
Get A Copy Of The Report Or Dispute Information
Much like a credit report, you as an individual, can actually request a copy of your CLUE report at any time from LexisNexis. You can use the report to review the accuracy of the information, and if there are errors, dispute the information on the report.
Motor Vehicle Report (MVR)
Points are calculated based on convictions so it’s important to be aware of what’s on your MVR report. Most people have heard of these reports, particularly if they are a commercial or professional driver. MVR reports contain information about driving records by licensed drivers in their respective state.
Each state maintains and issues their own report. Again, as an example, the Department of Driver Services produces the reports and offers it a number of ways. Individuals in Georgia can even request their own MVR reports but what’s available and how you obtain it will vary by state. You can generally find the options for your specific state by googling “MVR report [state name]”. There are also third party services that offer MVR reports.
The MVR is important because it contains the state’s information on every violation reported on your license. Most likely, that’s what your insurance company will see when looking into your driving history.
Certified and Non-Certified MVR Reports
In some states, MVR reports are offered as certified and non-certified reports. Certified reports are considered official and are often required when applying for jobs. It’s also the type of report used by insurance agencies and other official uses.
Non-certified reports are for “informational purposes”. This are generally what you’ll get when you pull your own MVR to view online.
Insurance Uses MVR Reports Not Points
Your insurance company will pull your MVR and assess the insurance score, points and risk of your violations and infractions. They generally do NOT align to your states point system. So what matters most is, when you pull your report, if a moving violation is listed, that is what your insurance company assesses. If the violation is present, even if it’s lowered to 0 points, you may likely will be assessed the full impact of the violation.
You may find even if you plead down points that insurance companies decline you for moving violations, particularly if they are of a serious nature or you have multiple in a short period of time. You also are likely paying your insurance premium based off of what is in your MVR, not your points calculation.
For Information Purposes Only
Of course, like all of our blog posts – this information is intended to be educational. This blog post is intended for general knowledge and is not direct insurance or legal advice. You should read and review any policies carefully and/or get legal help if you need it.
