How we use your information

Data services

Data services are when we produce a customized data set in response to a request for data. These files may include personal information. We provide data to qualified recipients through:

• A one-time release of a data file
• A recurring release of the data set (e.g., we send a data file every week)
• Ongoing service (e.g., a user logs into our system and requests records)

Data recipients

Most of our authorized data recipients access our data through License eXpress. Examples include:

• Employers who need driving records for people applying for driving positions
• Tow trucks, toll roads, and parking garage operators who need to contact vehicle owners about their cars
• Courts that need to look up or update a person’s driving record after a speeding ticket appeal

Types of data we have

We have many types of data:

• Public
• Sensitive
• Confidential (This includes personal information, meaning it could identify an individual).

Privacy and data sharing laws

State and federal laws allow us to provide data about drivers, cars, and professions—with restrictions. Only certain people and companies can receive data. We only share information when the recipient:

• Can legally receive the information, and
• Has a lawful reason for using it

Any time we sell or share data, we only share what the law allows. We try to share the least information possible with the recipient to suit their needs. For example, cities often want to know where the vehicles in their park-and-ride lots come from. This helps the city decide where to build its next park-and-ride so people don’t have to drive as far. To help them, we give city staff the 5-digit zip code where the cars are registered, without revealing vehicle owner information.

We don’t provide personal information for marketing, surveys, or commercial purposes. We never share our customers’ phone numbers or email addresses.

Social Security numbers

We only share Social Security numbers (SSNs) for a few purposes and only when the law requires it. For example:

• The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services gets SSNs of people who must pay child support.
• The Washington Secretary of State gets SSNs so they can register voters.
• The U.S. Military’s Selective Service gets SSNs of people who must register for the draft.

We may also use SSNs to notify our customers about incidents affecting their information.

Who receives data from us?

We only release personal information in ways the law allows. See the list below to find out who uses each type of data and how they use it.

Driving records

• Employers or prospective employers—when a position requires driving
• Insurance companies—for underwriting, so they can understand their risk
• Transit authorities—to check vanpool drivers’ safety and skills
• Superintendent of Public Instruction—to check school bus drivers
• Volunteer organizations—to check volunteer drivers who may transport people
• Alcohol and drug assessment or treatment agencies—to understand the needs of people coming for evaluation or treatment
• City attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, and your lawyer in a court case
• Government agencies, public colleges, or universities—for employment and risk management purposes
• State and local law enforcement agencies—for traffic stops and investigations

Driver information (only part of your data)

Governmental agencies use driver information to carry out their functions, such as:

• Stopping fraud
• Collecting taxes
• Enforcing child support
• Checking your eligibility for benefits
• Research
• Jury pools
• Voter registration
• Selective Service

Vehicle owners (lists)

• Automobile and component manufacturers—for recalls, advisories, research, and statistical reports
• Legitimate businesses—to conduct research activities and produce statistical reports
• U.S. or Canadian government—for enforcing vehicle or traffic laws, or programs related to traffic safety
• Insurance companies or self-insured entities—for investigating claims, anti-fraud activities, rating, or underwriting
• Local government—for providing notices to owners of towed or impounded vehicles
• State and local law enforcement agencies—for traffic stops and investigations
• Government or commercial parking companies—to notify registered owners of outstanding parking violations
• Department of Licensing contractors, counties, and licensing sub-agents—for providing motor vehicle excise tax, license, title, and registration information to auto dealers
• Toll operators (including Washington State Department of Transportation and its contractor)—to identify toll violations

Vehicle owners (individual lookups)

• All the entities and reasons listed above, under “Vehicle owners (lists)”
• Private investigators or attorneys in the course of civil, criminal, or other litigation
• Process servers—to serve papers during civil, criminal, or other litigation
• Bail bondsmen—to prevent fraud when securing collateral
• To verify title, lien, and brand information during the sale, trade-in, refinancing, or titling of a vehicle or manufactured home
• Government agencies—to perform legitimate duties

Boat owners (lists)

• Boat and component manufacturers—for recalls, advisories, research, and statistical reports
• Legitimate businesses—to conduct research activities and produce statistical reports
• U.S. or Canadian government—for enforcing boat laws, boat operations, or boat safety programs
• Insurance companies or self-insured entities—for investigating claims, anti-fraud activities, rating, or underwriting
• Local government—to locate the owner of, or deal with a boat that becomes a hazard
• State and local law enforcement agencies—for accidents and investigations
• Department of Licensing contractors, counties, and licensing sub-agents—for providing boat licensing, titling, and registration information to boat dealers

Boat owners (individual lookups)

• All the entities and reasons listed above, under “Boat owners (lists)”
• Private investigators or attorneys in the course of civil, criminal, or other litigation
• Process servers—to serve papers during civil, criminal, or other litigation
• Bail bond professionals—to verify information and prevent fraud when securing collateral
• To verify title, lien, and brand information during the sale, trade-in, refinancing, or titling of a boat
• Government agencies—to perform legitimate duties

Business and professional licensees

• Professional training organizations—lists of licensees
• Department of Social and Health Services—for child support enforcement

Fuel tax data

• State transportation and finance agencies – for forecasting future gas tax revenues
• Names and financial account data from customers getting a payment are sent to the State Treasurer to arrange payments

Commercial data brokers

We work with several reputable companies known as commercial data brokers. This makes it easier for people who have the right to see your data to find and receive it. The laws allow people or companies to use an agent, such as a data broker, to access information they have a right to see.

Data brokers and their customers can use the information we provide only under conditions we specify in a contract. If they violate those conditions, we stop sharing data with them.

As of September 2023, we work with these data brokers for the following purposes:

Driver records

• DataLink (Transunion) - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, state colleges, universities, or local government, transportation network companies, and state and federal agencies
• Embark Safety - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, state colleges, universities, or local government, and state and federal agencies
• Explore Information Services - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, state colleges, universities, or local government, transportation network companies, and state and federal agencies
• HireRight - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, state colleges, universities, or local government, transportation network companies, and state and federal agencies
• Insurance Information Exchange (iiX) - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, and transportation network companies
• LexisNexis - Insurance underwriting
• Safety Holdings - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, state colleges, universities, or local government, transportation network companies, and state and federal agencies
• Tessera Data, Inc. - Employment, volunteer organizations, transit authorities, insurance, and transportation network companies

Vehicle records

• American Traffic Solutions (Verra Mobility) - Governmental (enforcement and safety programs) and tolling
• Atlas Financial Services – Parking
• Auto Data Direct – Insurance (claims investigations, anti-fraud, ratings, and underwriting), towing, loans, written consent for lien activities, scrappers, and recyclers
• Data Ticket - Parking
• Experian - Recalls, research and statistical reports, governmental (enforcement and safety programs), insurance (claims investigations, anti-fraud, ratings, and underwriting), tolling, parking, towing, and loans
• NovoaGlobal, Inc. – Governmental (enforcement and safety programs)
• S&P Global (Polk Automotive Services) - Recalls, research and statistical reports, governmental (enforcement and safety programs), insurance (claims investigations, anti-fraud, ratings, and underwriting), tolling, parking, towing, and loans
• Redflex - Governmental (enforcement and safety programs) and tolling

Driver record monitoring services

The law allows some people to periodically review driving records for changes. This includes:

• Employers
• Prospective employers
• Transit authorities
• Insurance carriers
• State colleges and universities
• State agencies
• Local governments

Authorized people can give us a list of driver license numbers to monitor within a specific period of time (often monthly). We search for changes to the driving record during this time frame. If our system detects a change, it sends a new driving record to the requester. This allows these groups to reduce risk and ensure driver safety on an ongoing basis.

Data sharing revenue

Revenue from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024

Data service fees

For some services, we charge a monthly fee to cover the costs of providing the data. These fees vary based on:

• The complexity of the file.
• How much work it takes to produce the data.
• Maintenance of the data service interface.