Interstate Driver’s License Compact

A driver arrested on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) in California who is licensed in another state, faces unique challenges because of the Interstate Driver’s License Compact (IDLC). The IDLC is an agreement by 45 states to share information about driving-related arrests and convictions. An experienced California drunk-driving defense attorney will advise whether the IDLC will affect a driver’s privileges in his or her home state.

Only five states – Wisconsin, Tennessee, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Michigan – are not part of the IDLC. The other 45 states have agreed to notify one another when a driver is arrested or convicted of DUI / DWI. This means that an individual arrested for drunk-driving in California may face a suspended license and/or a fine in the state that issued the driver’s license.

California Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests trigger two separate cases – one with the court and one with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). When a driver is arrested for drunk-driving in California, the state DMV automatically begins the process of suspending the driver’s privileges in a process known as Administrative Per Se (APS). The driver has only 10 days from the date of arrest to request a DMV APS Hearing. If no hearing is requested, the license will automatically be suspended.

How that suspension affects the driver’s privileges in his or her home state depends on whether that state recognizes and acts upon administrative suspensions from another state, in this case California. Some states are completely reciprocal, meaning that if California suspends a driver’s license for four months, the licensing state will do the same.

Other states will only recognize or take action after being notified of a DUI / DWI court conviction rather than a DMV action. Among the states that will only act upon a court conviction, some will only take action if the burden of obtaining a criminal conviction in the other state is equal to the home state. Some states may add additional penalties, and some will impose fewer consequences than California.

The good news for DUI drivers licensed in states that belong to the Interstate Driver’s License Compact is that despite promises to notify one another about driving-related crimes, communication between the states remains poor. If California never communicates the driver’s loss of driving privileges to the licensing state, no other action will be taken. If the driver’s home state takes no action to rescind privileges, the driver still holds a valid driver’s license, and can continue to drive legally in every state except California.

Although a California drunk-driving arrest can create problems for an out-of-state driver in his or her home state, that’s not always the case. A California lawyer experienced in defending DUI / DWI cases for out-of-state drivers can explain how the Interstate Driver’s License Compact will affect a driver’s privileges both in California and in his or her licensing state.

NRVC – This is a list of the Non-resident Violator Compact… A list of states that communicate with one another if you get a ticket out of your home state. DLC – This is a list of states that belong to the Driver License Compact. An agreement between these states basically says that you have only ONE driver’s license record.
DLC/NRVC COMPACT MEMBER JOINED DATES
NRVC EFFECTIVE DATE DLC EFFECTIVE DATE
Alabama October 1981 Alabama 1966
Alaska Not a Member Alaska September 1986
Arizona January 1993 Arizona 1963
Arkansas January 1986 Arkansas 1969
California Not a Member California 1963
Colorado January 1982 Colorado 1965
Connecticut January 1981 Connecticut January 1993
Delaware February 1979 Delaware 1964
District of Columbia August 1980 District of Columbia November 1985
Florida October 1981 Florida 1967
Georgia February 1980 Georgia Not a Member
Hawaii January 1996 Hawaii 1971
Idaho October 1992 Idaho 1963
Illinois July 1984 Illinois 1963
Indiana January 1980 Indiana 1967
Iowa November 1980 Iowa 1965
Kansas January 1983 Kansas 1965
Kentucky December 1978 Kentucky August 1996
Louisiana November 1979 Louisiana 1968
Maine January 1982 Maine 1963
Maryland July 1979 Maryland 1978
Massachusetts December 1987 Massachusetts Not a Member
Michigan Not a Member Michigan Not a Member
Minnesota October 1978 Minnesota 1990
Mississippi March 1979 Mississippi 1962
Missouri October 1980 Missouri October 1985
Montana Not a Member Montana 1963
Nebraska January 1982 Nebraska 1963
Nevada February 1990 Nevada 1961
New Hampshire January 1982 New Hampshire October 1986
New Jersey July 1983 New Jersey 1966
New Mexico January 1985 New Mexico 1963
New York June 1982 New York 1965
North Carolina September 1980 North Carolina September 1993
North Dakota July 1980 North Dakota May 1986
Ohio January 1985 Ohio October 1987
Oklahoma July 1987 Oklahoma 1967
Oregon Not a Member Oregon 1963
Pennsylvania July 1979 Pennsylvania October 1994
Rhode Island April 1986 Rhode Island January 1987
South Carolina January 1981 South Carolina August 1987
South Dakota May 1980 South Dakota November 1987
Tennessee September 1984 Tennessee ’65/’97 dropped out
Texas January 1982 Texas September 1993
Utah July 1985 Utah 1965
Vermont October 1985 Vermont October 1987
Virginia July 1980 Virginia 1963
Washington October 1993 Washington 1963
West Virginia July 1978 West Virginia July 1972
Wisconsin Not a Member Wisconsin Not a Member
Wyoming July 1987 Wyoming May 1987
View Compact DLC Procedures Manual (This document is in PDF format. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader- software to view the document). Adobe Acrobat Reader- software can be downloaded from www.Adobe.com
The information provided on www.CaliforniaDUIhelp.com is not legal advice, but general information related to DUI and DWI issues.