NAPO Washington Reports

NAPO’s Executive Director Gives Interview on the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act

October 30, 2013

Today, NAPO’s Executive Director, Bill Johnson, gave a TV interview with CBS Television Channel 4 Miami on NAPO’s efforts to modify the recent amendment to the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA).

The DPPA requires state motor vehicle departments to receive permission from individuals before their personal motor vehicle record may be sold or released. The DPPA amendment authorizes a private right of action for knowing violations, and a court may award damages in the amount of $2,500 for each time a record was accessed, as well as attorney fees and other litigation costs. Law enforcement officers are subject to these stringent punishments, even if they did not review files with criminal intent.

NAPO has contacted every member of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, as well as every member of the Florida Congressional delegation, to request they consider our proposed language modifications to the DPPA amendment. Our proposal includes adding a clause that explains that penalties will be applied only if persons access information with the specific intent to secure an economic benefit. Also, NAPO proposes removing the $2,500 penalty for a violation of this act, as well as adding a statement that explains there must be repeated disregard of this law for action to be taken. If the language is not modified, law enforcement officers will be subject to large fines, and even the loss of their licenses for de minimus actions.

NAPO has also advocated for our proposed modifications to staffers who work for the following members of Congress:

  • Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
  • Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL)
  • Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL)
  • Congressman Dennis Ross (R-FL)
  • Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
  • Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-FL)
  • Congressman Daniel Webster (R-FL)
  • Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
  • Congressman Richard Nugent (R-FL)
  • Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL)
  • Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL)
  • Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN)


NAPO will continue to aggressively lobby members of Congress to gain support for our proposed language changes to the DPPA amendment, and provide regular status updates to our members.

If you have any questions about the DPPA, please contact Melissa Nee at: mnee@napo.org.