Interstate Driver’s License Compact

What is the Interstate Driver’s License Compact (IDLC)?

The Interstate Driver’s License Compact (IDLC) is an agreement by 45 states to share information about driving-related arrests and convictions.  This means, for example, 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.

How does the IDLC affect my driving rights?

Simply put, if you are arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) in one state, your license may be suspended in your home state and you may incur additional fines or penalties as well.

That said, the way the IDLC works can be confusing and it’s not always clear what impact it will have on your ability to legally drive.  An experienced New York DWI defense attorney can advise whether the IDLC will affect a driver’s privileges in your home state and elsewhere across the United States.

Other states will only take action after being notified of a DUI / DWI court conviction. 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 New York.

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 New York never communicates the driver’s loss of 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 license, and can continue to drive legally in every state except New York.

The following states have agreed to notify one another when a driver is arrested or convicted of DUI / DWI.

State Citation Year Of Joinder Alabama Code of Ala. 1975 Secs. 32-6-30 to 32-6-36 1966 Alaska Alaska: AS Secs. 28.37.010 to 28.37.190 1986 Arizona A.R.S. Sec. 28-1851 1963 Arkansas Ark. Code Ann. Secs. 27-17-101 to 27-17-106 1969 California West’s Ann. Cal. Veh. Code Sec. 15000 et seq. 1963 Colorado C.R.S. Secs. 24-60-1101 to 24-60-1107 1965 Congress 72 Stat.635 1958 Connecticut C.G.S.A. Secs. 14-111c 1993 D.C. DC Code Secs. 50-1001, 50-1002 1985 Delaware 21 Del. C. Secs. 8101, 8111, to 8113 1964 Florida West’s F.S.A. Sec. 322.43 et seq. 1967 Hawaii HRS Secs. 286C-1, 286C-2 1971 Idaho I.C. Secs. 49-2001 to 49-2003 1963 Illinois 625 ILCS 5/6-700 et seq. 1970 Indiana IC 9-28-1-1 to IC 9-28-1-6 1967 Iowa I.C.A. Secs. 321C.1, 321C.2 1965 Kansas K.S.A. 8-1212 et seq. 1965 Louisiana LSA-R.S. 32:1420 et seq. 1968 Maryland Md. [Transp.] Code Ann. Secs. 16-701 to 16-708 1987 Massachusetts ALM GL 90:30B 1988 Minnesota M.S.A. Sec. 171.50 et seq. 1989 Mississippi Code 1972, Secs. 63-1-101 to 63-1-113 1962 Missouri V.A.M.S. Secs. 302.600, 302.605 1985 Montana MCA Title 61, Ch. 5, part 4 1963 Nebraska R.S.N. Vol. 2A Appendix Sec. 1-113 1963 New Hampshire RSA 263:77-263:81 1986 New Jersey N.J.S.A. 39:5D-1 et seq. 1967 New Mexico NMSA 1978 Secs. 66-5-49 to 66-5-51 1963 New York McKinney’s Vehicle & Traffic Law Sec. 516 1965 North Carolina G.S. Secs. 20-4.21 to 20-4.30 1993 Ohio RC 4507.60-4507.63 1987 Oklahoma 47 Okl. St. Ann. Sec. 781 et seq. 1967 Oregon ORS 802.540, 802.550 1983 Pennsylvania 75 Pa. C.S.A. Sec. 1581 et seq. 1996 South Carolina Code 1976, Secs. 56-1-610 to 56-1-690 1987 South Dakota SDCL Sec. 32-12-56.1 1986 Tennessee T.C.A. Sec. 55-50-702 1979 Texas V.T.C.A. Tran. 523.001 et seq. 1993 Utah U.C.A. 195353-3-601 to 53-3-607 1965 Vermont V.S.A. 23 Sec. 3901 et seq. 1987 Virginia Code 1950, Secs. 46.2-483 to 46.2-488 1968 Washington RCW 46.21.010 et seq. 1963 West Virginia W. Va. Code, Secs. 17B-1A, 17B-1A-2 1972 Wyoming W.S. Secs. 31-7-201, 31-7-202 1987

If you have been arrested for a DUI or DWI-related crime, contact an experienced New York DWI lawyer who can advise you and help you better understand your rights.

Additional Resources:

• National Center for Interstate Compacts