Driver License Agreement

In the United States, the Driver License Agreement (DLA) is an interstate compact written by the Joint Executive Board of the Driver License Compact (DLC) and the Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC) with staff support provided by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). The DLA requires all states to honor licenses issued by other member states, report traffic convictions to the licensing state, prohibit a member state from confiscating an out-of-state driver's license or jailing an out-of-state driver for a minor violation; and maintain a complete driver's history, including withdrawals and traffic convictions including those committed in non-DLA states.

When a DLA member state receives a report concerning its drivers from a non-DLA member state, the member state will be required to treat the report the same as if it came from a member state. As with the previous compacts, the DLA requires a state to post all out-of-state traffic convictions to the driver's record, and a state must apply its own laws to all out-of-state convictions. As with the previous compacts, the DLA allows other jurisdictions to access motor vehicle records, in accordance with the Drivers' Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), and to transfer the driver's history if the driver transfers his license.

The DLA has some changes from the NRVC. Unlike the NRVC, under the DLA, adverse action can be taken against a driver for not responding to violations such as equipment violations, registration violations, parking violations, and weight limit violations. Other changes from the NRVC are that in order for a driver to keep his license under the NRVC, he just had to respond to the citation by paying the fine. With the DLA, the driver must comply with any order from the out of state court. An example would be a driver from Arizona getting cited for tinted windows while traveling through Virginia, even though the tinted windows are legal back at home. The driver is ordered to fix the tint to meet Virginia law even though the driver left Virginia. Under the NRVC, to retain said license, the driver just pays the fine but with DLA, the driver must do what the court says including paying a fine, but also fixing vehicle equipment, and/or community service.

History

Work on the Driver License Agreement started in 1994/1995 by the Driver License Compact and the Non-Resident Violator Compact Joint Executive Board with the idea to combine and improve the compacts and make them enforceable, possibly with federal grant funding. Around the same time, Congress passed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Joint Executive Board decided jurisdictions in Mexico and Canada could join.

The federal government through appropriations in Congress funded the Joint Executive Board in writing the new Driver License Agreement. In 2000, the agreement was ratified by the U.S. states with two votes against. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Joint Executive Board strengthened driver license security provisions in the DLA, and the revised DLA was again ratified by the U.S. states with some votes against. The information on who voted against the DLA is considered confidential and proprietary information by the AAMVA.

Connecticut was the first state to join in January 2002.

States that are members

Connecticut
Arkansas – can join under administrative rulemakeing under Act 446 as passed by the 2005 Legislative Session
Massachusetts

Controversy

Sharing of state driver databases not only with other states but also with foreign countries that do not follow the Drivers Privacy Protection Act which puts drivers' private information at risk.
Since DLA members are required to make their databases available to all jurisdictions, the security of drivers' private information is at risk.
No due process rights for receiving a traffic ticket or major violation such as DUI while driving out of the country but yet, the ticket when reported to the home jurisdiction can affect retention of a driver's license and cause insurance rates to increase.
Based on a vote from the Joint Executive Board, other countries can join the DLA such as member nations of the European Union.
Photo enforcement of traffic laws is very protected by the DLA such as points are required to be assessed for violations detected through photo enforcement such as Red Light and Photo Radar
Corporations supporting the DLA include Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and Oracle.

Notes

The Driver License Agreement document (PDF)
Analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures
Real ID Act of 2005

Legislation and other

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators has struck a deal with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to get funding to get states to join. Found at AAMVA Memo
Legislation in the past has been sponsored in Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina to join
There has been legislation in the past, introduced in the US Congress, to mandate that states must participate. Such legislation included HR10 - 9/11 Implementation Act of 2004 and HR418 - The Real ID Act of 2005 but the mandate has not made it into the final bills.
Driver's Privacy Protection Act

References

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA)

Traffic law and safety

Rules of the road	All-way stop Assured Clear Distance Ahead Australian Road Rules Boulevard rule Green Cross Code Move over law New Zealand Road Code Overtaking Right- and left-hand traffic Right-of-way School bus traffic stop laws Traffic code Turn on red Vienna Convention on Road Traffic

Road user guides	Driver's manual The Highway Code The Highway Code (Malta) Road Users' Code Rules of the Road (Ireland)

Enforcement	Breathalyzer Camera Enforcement Red light Highway patrol/State police Parking enforcement Road traffic control Textalyzer Traffic court Traffic guard Traffic stop Traffic ticket Warning

Speed limit	Advisory speed limit Assured Clear Distance Ahead National Maximum Speed Law School zone Speed limit enforcement Speed limits by country Category: Speed limits by country

Moving violations	Driving under the influence Canada United States Distracted driving Mobile phones and driving Texting while driving Reckless driving Street racing Tailgating Vehicular homicide Wrong-way driving

Driver licensing	Commercial driver's license European driving licence Graduated driver licensing Inter-American Driving Permit International Driving Permit Learner's permit Point system Driving licences by country List of countries by minimum driving age

Traffic violations reciprocity	Commercial Driver's License Information System Driver License Agreement Driver License Compact Non-Resident Violator Compact

Parking	Alternate-side parking Decriminalised parking enforcement Disabled parking permit Double parking Parking chair Parking violation Wheel clamp

Car safety	Seat belt laws Click It or Ticket Clunk Click Every Trip

Road safety	Tachograph Digital tachograph Drivers' working hours (Europe) Epilepsy and driving Hours of service (US) "How's my driving?" sign Old age and driving Sleep deprived driving Slow moving vehicle

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