Compacts Keep States in the Loop About Driving Offenses
A bad driver’s bad habits don’t miraculously get corrected when they cross state lines. In order to keep all motorists safe from those who drive recklessly, or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, many states, including Arizona, participate in compacts – which allow motor vehicle departments to share information about a driver’s bad habits in another state.
By letting drivers’ home state know about their out-of-state offenses, the DMVs of the drivers’ home state can mete out appropriate punishments – like adding points to their licenses. This can have lasting ramifications for drivers who travel to Arizona for pleasure, work or school.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) describes the importance of compacts saying: “Serious offenses such as drunk driving, vehicle manslaughter, reckless driving, etc., are no less serious when committed in some other jurisdiction than when committed in the driver’s home state.”
Types of Compacts
The Drivers License Compact (DLC) is an agreement that allows participating states to report offenses such as DWI, DUI or speeding to a driver’s home state. As a result the Compact, which was founded in 1960, the driver’s home state can add points to the driver’s license – or suspend the license if the driver commits a major offense.
The Compact is only used to report moving violations, so offenses like parking tickets and tinted windows are not reported back to the driver’s home state.
The Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC), which began in the 1970s, allows the home state of drivers to suspend their license if they commit a moving violation in another state and does not legally resolve it there.
Under the Compact, which has 44 member states sharing information, drivers cannot get their licenses reinstated until they have cleared up the violations they committed in the other state.
Arizona DUI attorneys remain alert to these laws and offer assistance to Arizona residents who receive a drunk-driving charge outside of the state.
