Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)

The law was originally passed in 1994 to protect the privacy of personal information assembled by the various State Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs). The DPPA prohibits the release or use by any State DMV of personal information about an individual obtained by the DMV in connection with a motor vehicle records. The DPPA provides for a number of “permissible uses” including use by any government agency, including any court or law enforcement agency and a number of other uses including legitimate business or their agents, employees or contractors but only to verify the accuracy of personal information submitted by the individual to the business and for prevention of fraud. Other permissible uses include:

1. For use in connection with any civil, criminal, administrative or arbitral proceeding in any Federal, State or local court or agency or before any self-regulatory body;
2. For use in research activities and for use in producing statistical reports so long as the personal information is not published;
3. For use by any insurer in connection with claims investigation activities, antifraud activities, rating or underwriting;
4. For use by any licensed private investigatory agency; and
5. Numerous other permissible uses listed in the Act.