Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 (DPPA)

What Does Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 (DPPA) Mean?

The Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994, also known as the DPPA, is a federal United States law which prevents state Departments of Motor Vehicles from distributing the personal information of driver's license holders, except under special circumstances. Generally, an employer seeks a potential employee's permission to access the records protected by DPPA as part of the pre-employment background check process.

WorkplaceTesting Explains Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 (DPPA)

The Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994, DPPA, was created in order to protect the private information of drivers. In the early 90's there were a number of incidents where criminals used state DMV records to get addresses and other personal information of potential victims for car theft and identity theft. In response, the DPPA was passed in an attempt to provide a layer of protection and restrict access to these otherwise public records.

The DPPA provides mechanisms for employers to access DMV records under certain circumstances such as for the purposes of verification of identity and to verify a driver's license is valid. Employers must generally provide written permission from the employee (or potential employee) to the DMV before records will be released.