The federal law protecting an individuals motor vehicle information is known as the Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). The Act prohibits state departments of motor vehicles and others to whom the DMVs provide information from disclosing a driver’s personal information without that driver’s consent. State Division of motor vehicles that violate the Act are subject to civil penalties. The Driver Privacy Protection Act does not prohibit the use of driver information in background investigations, it regulates. A New Jersey Private Investigator can use driver information during a background investigation, use must be within the regulations.
Under the Driver Privacy Protection Act, personal information contained in a motor vehicle record may be disclosed for:
use by any government agency, including any court or law enforcement agency, in carrying out its functions, or
to any private person or entity acting on behalf of a Federal, State, or local agency; and
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, or pursuant to a Federal, State, or local court