Sharing Information Across State Lines

The Driver License Compact

Another key to assuring accurate records is the sharing of information across state lines so out-of-state offenses are included in an offender’s driving history. This has a direct impact on the identification of the hardcore offender who, without cross-state record keeping, can obtain a driver’s license from another state to avoid being identified as a multiple offender. The Driver License Compact (DLC), an agreement among 45 states and the District of Columbia, is one attempt to prevent offenders from skirting the law. The DLC and another interstate compact, the Non-resident Violator Compact (NRVC), are administered by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).

The DLC illustrates the states’ ability for cooperative action and affirms that offenses, including drunk driving, will be treated with the full force of the law regardless of jurisdiction. The major provisions of the DLC are:

• The one driver license concept, which requires the surrender of an out-of-state driver’s license when application for a new license is made;
  
  
• The one driver record concept, which requires that a complete driver record be maintained in the driver’s state of residence to determine driving eligibility in the home state, as well as non-residence operator’s privilege in other jurisdictions;
  
  
• The reporting of all traffic convictions and license suspensions and revocations of out-of-state drivers to the home state licensing agency, as well as other appropriate information; and
  
  
• The assurance of uniform and predictable treatment of drivers by treating offenses committed in other states as though they have been committed in the home state.

For example, if a driver gets a ticket in one state, that department of motor vehicles will relay the information to the driver’s home state, whereby the violation will be added to his or her driving record, just as if the ticket had been issued in the state of current residence. Both the Driver License Compact and the Non-resident Violator Compact are being revised into a single, more effective compact called the Driver License Agreement (DLA).