(1)
The National Driver Register (NDR):
This database was created by the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration and is about ten years old. It
keeps track of both commercial and regular drivers who
have had their licenses revoked or suspended, or who
have been convicted of serious traffic violations such
as DUI. Every state submits information
to the NDR and each is required to check the database
before granting a license.
Your
home state will check the database approximately three
to six months before your license is scheduled for renewal.
If it locates a problem in another state that has not
been resolved (e.g. unpaid ticket or suspended driving
privilege), it will notify you. You will then have to
resolve the issue before your home state will renew
your license.
Various entities can access some of the information
in the database. An employer of commercial drivers is
notified of anything reported to the NDR within the
past three years. You can find out if you’re listed
in the NDR by calling the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration directly at (202)366-4800.
(2) The Driver License Compact (DLC):
This is an agreement entered into by those states that
wish to participate and it is up to an individual state
to join in any given provision of the agreement. It
was created by the American Association of Motor Vehicle
Administrators, which is a nonprofit that develops model
programs for vehicle administration and safety.
The DLC agreement treats a violation in one state as
an equivalent violation in your home state. In other
words, as a result of this agreement, your home state
will assess points against your license, in accordance
with the penalty received from the state in which you
received the ticket or charge. A DUI
drivers license suspension resulting from a DUI
conviction would likewise result in a suspension of
your license in your home state.
(3)
The Non-Resident Violator
Compact (NRVC): This database is also the
product of the American Association of Motor Vehicle
Administrators (AAMVA) and likewise permits individual
states to select which of its various provisions will
be enforced.
The rules employed by the NRVC are not as severe as
those of the DLC. If you receive a ticket in another
state and don’t pay it, your home state will suspend
your license until the ticket is paid, but it will not
issue points or penalties on your license as is the
case with the DLC.
Note: As of 2010, not all states are members of the
DLC or NVRC: Georgia, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Massachusetts
aren’t members of the DLC. Wisconsin, California, Montana,
Oregon, and Alaska are not a part of the NVRC. Michigan
is not a member of either compact.
(4)
The Driver License Agreement (DLA):
This agreement is also a product of the AAMVA. Any state
signing the agreement permits the DLA regulations to
supersede any of its own state laws that stand in contradiction
to it.
The DLA also requires a state to take action even if
the home state doesn’t have the same statute as the
one you received a ticket for. This could result in
you receiving points on your record for an offense which
is similar, yet greater than the ticketing state! For
example, if you receive a ticket for Careless Driving
and your home state does not have this violation, the
home state will be required to find the closest comparable
violation, such as a Reckless Driving, and assess penalties
based on this more serious charge. In addition, the
DLA requires member states to make all information available
to member and non-member states alike; including the
sharing of information such as social security numbers.
Note: The AAMVA is promoting the acceptance of this
program nationwide as well as internationally. Fortunately
it is in its infancy and only three states are members
at this time: Connecticut, Arkansas and Massachusetts.
