§ 31-7-201 — Compact provisions generally

The Driver License Compact is enacted into law and entered into
with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in form
substantially as follows:
ARTICLE I
Findings and Declaration of Policy
(a) The party states find that:
(i) The safety of their streets and highways is
materially affected by the degree of compliance with state and
local ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles;
(ii) Violation of such a law or ordinance is evidence
that the violator engages in conduct which is likely to endanger
the safety of persons and property;
(iii) The continuance in force of a license to drive
is predicated upon compliance with laws and ordinances relating
to the operation of motor vehicles, in whichever jurisdiction
the vehicle is operated.
(b) It is the policy of each of the party states to:
(i) Promote compliance with the laws, ordinances, and
administrative rules and regulations relating to the operation
of motor vehicles by their operators in each of the
jurisdictions where such operators drive motor vehicles;
(ii) Make the reciprocal recognition of licenses to
drive and eligibility therefor more just and equitable by
considering the overall compliance with motor vehicle laws,
ordinances and administrative rules and regulations as a
condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of any
license by reason of which the licensee is authorized or
permitted to operate a motor vehicle in any of the party states.
ARTICLE II
Definitions
(a) As used in this compact:
(i) "State" means a state, territory or possession of
the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico;
(ii) "Home state" means the state which has issued
and has the power to suspend or revoke the use of the license or
permit to operate a motor vehicle;
(iii) "Conviction" means a conviction of any offense
related to the use or operation of a motor vehicle which is
prohibited by state law, municipal ordinance or administrative
rule or regulation, or a forfeiture of bail, bond or other
security deposited to secure appearance by a person charged with
having committed any such offense, and which conviction or
forfeiture is required to be reported to the licensing
authority.
ARTICLE III
Report of Convictions
(a) The licensing authority of a party state shall report
each conviction of a person from another party state occurring
within its jurisdiction to the licensing authority of the home
state of the licensee. Such report shall:
(i) Clearly identify the person convicted;
(ii) Describe the violation specifying the section of
the statute, code or ordinance violated;
(iii) Identify the court in which action was taken;
(iv) Indicate whether a plea of guilty or not guilty
was entered, or conviction was a result of the forfeiture of
bail, bond or other security; and
(v) Include any special findings made in connection
therewith.
ARTICLE IV
Effect of Conviction
(a) The licensing authority in the home state, for the
purposes of suspension, revocation or limitation of the license
to operate 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 has occurred in the home state, in the
case of convictions for:
(i) Manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from
the operation of a motor vehicle;
(ii) Driving a motor vehicle while under the
influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drug, or under the
influence of any other drug to a degree which renders the driver
incapable of safely driving a motor vehicle;
(iii) Any felony in the commission of which a motor
vehicle is used;
(iv) Failure to stop and render aid in the event of a
motor vehicle accident resulting in the death or personal injury
of another.
(b) As to other convictions, reported pursuant to Article
III, the licensing authority in the home state shall give such
effect to the conduct as is provided by laws of the home state.
(c) If the laws of a party state do not provide for
offenses or violations denominated or described in precisely the
words employed in subdivision (a) of this Article, such party
state shall construe the denominations and descriptions
appearing in the subdivision (a) hereof as being applicable to
and identifying those offenses or violations of a substantially
similar nature and the laws of such party state shall contain
such provisions as may be necessary to ensure that full force
and effect is given to this Article.
ARTICLE V
Applications for New Licenses
(a) Upon application for a license to drive, the licensing
authority in a party state shall ascertain whether the applicant
has ever held, 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 issue a license to drive to
the applicant if:
(i) The applicant has held such a license, but the
same has been suspended by reason, in whole or in part, of a
violation and if such suspension period has not terminated;
(ii) The applicant has held such a license, but the
same has been revoked by reason, in whole or in part, of a
violation and if such revocation has not terminated, except that
after the expiration of one (1) year from the date the license
was revoked, such person may make application for a new license
if permitted by law. The licensing authority may refuse to
issue a license to any such applicant, if, after investigation,
the licensing authority determines that it will not be safe to
grant to such person the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on
the public highways;
(iii) The applicant is the holder of a license to
drive issued by another party state and currently in force
unless the applicant surrenders such license.
ARTICLE VI
Applicability of Other Laws
Except as expressly required by provisions of this Compact,
nothing contained herein shall be construed to affect the right
of any party state to apply any of its other laws relating to
licenses to drive to any person or circumstance, nor to
invalidate or prevent any driver license agreement or other
cooperative arrangement between a party state and a nonparty
state.
ARTICLE VII
Compact Administrator and Interchange of Information
(a) The head of the licensing authority of each party
state shall be the administrator of this Compact for this state.
The administrators, acting jointly, shall have the power to
formulate all necessary and proper procedures for the exchange
of information under this Compact.
(b) The administrator of each party state shall furnish to
the administrator of each other party state any information or
documents reasonably necessary to facilitate the administration
of this Compact.
ARTICLE VIII
Entry Into Force and Withdrawal
(a) This Compact shall enter into force and become
effective as to any state when it has enacted the same into law.
(b) Any party state may withdraw from this Compact by
enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal
shall take effect until six (6) months after the executive head
of the withdrawing state has given notice of the withdrawal to
the executive heads of all other party states. No withdrawal
shall affect the validity or applicability by the licensing
authorities of states remaining party to the Compact of any
report of conviction occurring prior to the withdrawal.
ARTICLE IX
Construction and Severability
This Compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate
the purposes thereof. The provisions of this Compact shall be
severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of
this Compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of
any party state or of the United States or the applicability
thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is
held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Compact and
the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or
circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this Compact
shall be held contrary to the constitution of any party state
thereto, the Compact shall remain in full force and effect as to
the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the
state affected as to all severable matters.