What is the DPPA?
The Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), 18 U.S.C. § 2721 et seq., is a federal law that restricts access to personal information contained in state motor vehicle records.
The Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) was enacted by Congress in 1994 in response to concerns about the misuse of personal information contained in state motor vehicle records. The law restricts the disclosure and use of personal information obtained from state DMV records.
"Personal information" under the DPPA includes:
- Name, address, and telephone number
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Driver identification number / license number
- Photograph or digital image
- Date of birth
- Physical description information
- Medical or disability information
Note: Vehicle information such as make, model, year, VIN, and title status is generally not considered "personal information" under the DPPA when not associated with an individual's identity.
Our DPPA Compliance Program
Vehicle Record Check maintains a comprehensive DPPA compliance program. We access motor vehicle records only for permissible purposes and have strict internal controls to prevent unauthorized use.
Vehicle Record Check is committed to full compliance with the DPPA. Our compliance program includes:
- Purpose verification: We verify that all users and customers are accessing data for a permissible purpose.
- Data use restrictions: We contractually restrict our data providers and data recipients from using vehicle data for non-permissible purposes.
- Employee training: All staff with access to DMV data are trained on DPPA requirements.
- Access controls: Strict technical controls limit access to personal information only to authorized personnel.
- Audit trails: We maintain logs of data access for compliance monitoring purposes.
Permissible Uses Under the DPPA
Vehicle Record Check provides vehicle history data only for the following DPPA-permissible purposes:
- Motor vehicle safety: Verifying vehicle history for safety purposes before purchase.
- Normal business use: Use by licensed dealers, insurers, and businesses in connection with vehicle transactions.
- Research purposes: Statistical research with personal identifiers removed.
- Legitimate business need: Verifying accuracy of personal information submitted by the individual.
- Insurance purposes: By insurers or their agents for underwriting and claims investigation.
- Government agency use: By federal, state, or local government agencies.
Prohibited Uses
Any use of Vehicle Record Check data for the following purposes is strictly prohibited and may constitute a federal crime under the DPPA.
- Stalking, harassing, or locating individuals for non-permissible personal purposes.
- Solicitation, marketing, or surveys (unless the individual has provided express consent).
- Compiling personal profiles for sale to third parties without DPPA authorization.
- Any use that violates an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy.
Violations of the DPPA can result in criminal penalties of up to $5,000 per day and civil liability.
How We Protect Your Data
As part of our DPPA compliance, we implement robust data protection measures:
- Minimization: We only collect and display the minimum vehicle data necessary for the requested report.
- Encryption: All data transmissions use 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption.
- Access limits: Personal data from DMV records is never displayed in our consumer-facing reports without a DPPA-compliant purpose.
- Retention limits: We do not retain unnecessary personal data beyond what is required for report delivery and legal compliance.
Reporting Suspected Violations
If you believe Vehicle Record Check or any user of our data has violated the DPPA, please contact us immediately:
- Email: compliance@vehiclerecordcheck.com
- You may also report DPPA violations to your state Attorney General or the U.S. Department of Justice.
Contact Our Compliance Team
- Email: compliance@vehiclerecordcheck.com
- Mail: Vehicle Record Check — Compliance Dept., 1075 Main Street, Warrington, PA 18976