License Suspensions for Nondriving Offenses: Practices in Four States That May Ease the Financial Impact on Low-Income Individuals

States suspend driver's licenses for a variety of offenses that are not directly related to driving safety. For example, all states have procedures to suspend licenses for child support arrearages. In addition, a majority of states issue suspensions for such offenses as failure to pay court or motor vehicle fines or maintain proper insurance. While recognizing that license suspension can be an effective tool for encouraging compliance with various laws, some policymakers and advocacy groups have raised concerns that certain drivers may face suspension because of their limited ability to meet financial obligations. They have also raised concerns that suspensions make it difficult for some low-income individuals to maintain or find work, and may make it more challenging for them to pay fines or meet child support obligations. Additionally, they have raised concerns that suspensions for nondriving offenses may clog court systems and divert resources to activities that do not improve traffic safety. Although the federal government has a limited role with regard to driver's licenses, federal law promotes nondriving suspensions in two circumstances. First, as a condition of federal funding for their child support enforcement programs, states are required to provide for license suspensions for individuals delinquent in making child support payments. Second, 10 percent of certain federal highway funds are contingent upon a state (a) enacting and enforcing a law that suspends driver's licenses, in all cases, or except in compelling circumstances, for individuals convicted of drug offenses, or (b) its governor certifying that he or she is opposed to such a law and that the state legislature has adopted a resolution opposing it. Thirty-two states have chosen the second option. While there has been interest in nondriving suspensions in recent years, little is known about the prevalence of and reasons for such suspensions or who is affected. With driver licensure generally a state responsibility, national-level data are not available and cannot be readily compiled. According to researchers and state officials we spoke with, while states collect data on license suspensions, they do not consistently categorize suspensions by the type of offense or classify them as being related to driving or nondriving offenses. Even when states categorize suspension data by type of offense, they differ in the ways they do so. Moreover, states do not generally collect suspension data for drivers by income level. A study of one state found that the vast majority of drivers were suspended for a variety of compliance reasons that were not directly related to driving behavior, such as not paying parking tickets or failing to maintain proper insurance. This suggests that, at least in one state, the number of nondriving suspensions may have been significant. In response to Congress' request, GAO examined the following issues related to nondriving license suspensions: 1) Practices in place that may ease the financial impact on low-income individuals; 2) Any challenges involved in implementing these practices.