[§286C-1  Enactment of compact.] The Driver License Compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into with allother jurisdictions legally joining herein in the form substantially asfollows:

 

DRIVERLICENSE COMPACT

ARTICLE I. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY

 

(a)  The party states find that:

(1)  The safety of their streets and highways ismaterially affected by the degree of compliance with state laws and localordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles.

(2)  Violation of such a law or ordinance is evidencethat the violator engages in conduct which is likely to endanger the safety ofpersons and property.

(3)  The continuance in force of a license to drive ispredicated upon compliance with laws and ordinances relating to the operationof motor vehicles, in whichever jurisdiction the vehicle is operated.

(b)  It is the policy of each of the partystates to:

(1)  Promote compliance with the laws, ordinances andadministrative rules and regulations relating to the operation of motor vehiclesby their operators in each of the jurisdictions where such operators drivemotor vehicles.

(2)  Make the reciprocal recognition of licenses todrive and eligibility therefor more just and equitable by considering theoverall compliance with motor vehicle laws, ordinances and administrative rulesand regulations as a condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of anylicense by reason of which the licensee is authorized or permitted to operate amotor vehicle in any of the party states.

 

ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS

 

As used in this compact:

(a)  "State" means a state, territoryor possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(b)  "Home state" means the statewhich has issued and has the power to suspend or revoke the use of the licenseor permit to operate a motor vehicle.

(c)  "Conviction" means a convictionof any offense related to the use or operation of a motor vehicle which isprohibited by state law, municipal ordinance or administrative rule orregulation, or a forfeiture of bail, bond or other security deposited to secureappearance by a person charged with having committed any such offense, andwhich conviction or forfeiture is required to be reported to the licensingauthority.

 

ARTICLE III. REPORTS OF CONVICTION

 

The licensing authority of a party state shallreport each conviction of a person from another party state occurring withinits jurisdiction to the licensing authority of the home state of the licensee. Such report shall clearly identify the person convicted; describe the violationspecifying the section of the statute, code or ordinance violated; identify thecourt in which action was taken; indicate whether a plea of guilty [or notguilty was entered, or the conviction was a result] of the forfeiture of bail,bond or other security; and shall include any special findings made inconnection therewith.

 

Revision Note

 

  Bracketed words "or not guilty was entered, or theconviction was a result" added by revisor.

 

ARTICLE IV. EFFECT OF CONVICTION

 

(a)  The licensing authority in the home state,for the purposes of suspension, revocation or limitation of the license tooperate a motor vehicle, shall give the same effect to the conduct reported,pursuant to Article III of this compact, as it would if such conduct hadoccurred in the home state, in the case of convictions for:

(1)  Manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting fromthe operation of a motor vehicle;

(2)  Driving a motor vehicle while under the influenceof intoxicating liquor or a narcotic drug, or under the influence of any otherdrug to a degree which renders the driver incapable of safely driving a motorvehicle;

(3)  Any felony in the commission of which a motorvehicle is used;

(4)  Failure to stop and render aid in the event of amotor vehicle accident resulting in the death or personal injury of another.

(b)  As to other convictions, reported pursuantto Article III, the licensing authority in the home state shall give sucheffect to the conduct as is provided by the laws of the home state.

(c)  If the laws of a party state do notprovide for offenses or violations denominated or described in precisely thewords employed in subdivision (a) of this Article, such party state shallconstrue the denominations and descriptions appearing in subdivision (a) hereofas being applicable to and identifying those offenses or violations of asubstantially similar nature, and the laws of such party state shall containsuch provision as may be necessary to ensure that full force and effect isgiven to this Article.

 

ARTICLE V. APPLICATIONS FOR NEW LICENSES

 

Upon application for a license to drive, thelicensing authority in a party state shall ascertain whether applicant has everheld, or is the holder of a license to drive issued by any other party state. The licensing authority in the state where application is made shall not issuea license to drive to the applicant if:

(1)  The applicant has held such a license, but thesame has been suspended by reason, in whole or in part, of a violation and ifsuch suspension period has not terminated.

(2)  The applicant has held such a license, but thesame has been revoked by reason, in whole or in part, of a violation and ifsuch revocation has not terminated, except that after the expiration of oneyear from the date the license was revoked, such person may make applicationfor a new license if permitted by law.  The licensing authority may refuse toissue a license to any such applicant if, after investigation, the licensingauthority determines that it will not be safe to grant to such person theprivilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways.

(3)  The applicant is the holder of a license to driveissued by another party state and currently in force unless the applicant surrenderssuch license.

 

ARTICLE VI. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAWS

 

Except as expressly required by provisions ofthis compact, nothing contained herein shall be construed to affect the rightof any party state to apply any of its other laws relating to the licenses todrive to any person or circumstance, nor to invalidate or prevent any driverlicense agreement or other cooperative arrangement between a party state and anonparty state.

 

ARTICLE VII. COMPACT ADMINISTRATOR AND

INTERCHANGEOF INFORMATION

 

(a)  The head of the licensing authority ofeach party state shall be the administrator of this compact for his state.  Theadministrators, acting jointly, shall have the power to formulate all necessaryand proper procedures for the exchange of information under this compact.

(b)  The administrator of each party stateshall furnish to the administrator of each other party state any information ordocuments reasonably necessary to facilitate the administration of thiscompact.

 

ARTICLEVIII.  ENTRY INTO FORCE AND WITHDRAWAL

 

(a)  This compact shall enter into force andbecome effective as to any state when it has enacted the same into law.

(b)  Any party state may withdraw from thiscompact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shalltake effect until six months after the executive head of the withdrawing statehas given notice of the withdrawal to the executive heads of all other partystates.  No withdrawal shall affect the validity or applicability by thelicensing authorities of states remaining party to the compact of any report ofconviction occurring prior to the withdrawal.

 

ARTICLE IX. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY

 

This compact shall be liberally construed so asto effectuate the purposes thereof.  The provisions of this compact shall beseverable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact isdeclared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the UnitedStates or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstanceis held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and theapplicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance shallnot be affected thereby.  If this compact shall be held contrary to theconstitution of any state party thereto, the compact shall remain in full forceand effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to thestate affected as to all severable matters. [L 1971, c 127, §4]