The Driver License Compact is entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in a form substantially as follows:

DRIVER LICENSE COMPACT

ARTICLE I

Findings and Declaration of Policy

1. A. The party states find that:

   1. (1) the safety of their streets and highways is materially affected by the degree of compliance with state laws and local ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles;
   2. (2) violation of state law or local ordinance is evidence that the violator engages in conduct which is likely to endanger the safety of persons and property; and
   3. (3) 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.

2. B. It is the policy of each of the party states to:

   1. (1) 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 they drive motor vehicles; and

   2. (2) 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 continuation 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

      As used in the Driver License Compact:

3. A. "state" means a state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
4. B. "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; and

5. C. "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

   Reports of Conviction

   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. The report shall:

6. A. clearly identify the person convicted;
7. B. describe the violation, specifying the section of the statute, code or ordinance violated;
8. C. identify the court in which action was taken;
9. D. indicate whether a plea of guilty or not guilty was entered, or the conviction was a result of the forfeiture of bail, bond or other security; and

10. E. include any special findings made in connection therewith.

    ARTICLE IV

    Effect of Conviction

11. 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 the Driver License Compact as it would if the conduct had occurred in the home state in the case of convictions for:

    1. (1) manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;
    2. (2) driving a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a narcotic drug, or under the influence of any other drug to a degree which renders the driver incapable of safely driving a motor vehicle;
    3. (3) any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used; and
    4. (4) failure to stop and render aid in the event of a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death or personal injury to another.
12. B. As to other convictions reported pursuant to Article III, the licensing authority in the home state shall give the effect to the conduct as is provided by the laws of the home state.

13. C. If the laws of a party state do not provide for offenses or violations denominated or described in precisely the words employed in Subsection A of this article, that party state shall construe the denominations and descriptions appearing in Subsection A as being applicable to, and identifying, those offenses or violations of a substantially similar nature, and the laws of that party state shall contain provisions necessary to ensure that full effect is given to this article.

    ARTICLE V

    Applications for New Licenses

    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:

14. A. the applicant has held a license, but it has been suspended by reason, in whole or in part, of a violation and if the suspension period has not terminated;
15. B. the applicant has held a license, but it has been revoked by reason, in whole or in part, of a violation and if the revocation has not terminated, except that after expiration of one year from the date the license was revoked, the person may make application for a new license if permitted by law. The licensing authority may refuse to issue a license to the applicant if, after investigation, it determines that it will not be safe to grant to the person the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways; or

16. C. the applicant is the holder of a license to drive issued by another party state and currently in force, unless he surrenders the license.

    ARTICLE VI

    Applicability of Other Laws

    Except as expressly required by provisions of the Driver License Compact, nothing contained in the compact 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 circumstances, or 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

17. A. The head of the licensing authority of each party state shall be the administrator of the Driver License Compact for his state. The administrators, acting jointly, may formulate all necessary and proper procedures for the exchange of information under the Driver License Compact.

18. 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 the Driver License Compact.

    ARTICLE VIII

    Entry into Force and Withdrawal

19. A. The Driver License Compact shall enter into force and become effective as to any state when it has enacted the compact into law.

20. B. Any party state may withdraw from the Driver License Compact by enacting a statute repealing the compact, but no withdrawal shall take effect until six 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

    The Driver License Compact shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes. The provisions of the compact are severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state, or of the United States, or its applicability to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity or [of] the remainder of the compact and its applicability to any government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected. If the compact is held contrary to the constitution of any party state, it shall remain in full effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.

History: 1953 Comp., § 64-13-79, enacted by Laws 1963, ch. 302, § 1; recompiled as 1953 Comp., § 64-5-49, by Laws 1978, ch. 35, § 271.

ANNOTATIONS

Cross references. — For driver's records from another state, see 66-5-9 NMSA 1978.

For suspending privileges of nonresidents and reporting convictions, see 66-5-25 NMSA 1978.

For suspending resident's license upon conviction in another state, see 66-5-26 NMSA 1978.

Nonresident must surrender license upon applying for state license. — Under the provisions of Section 64-13-38, 1953 Comp. (similar to Section 66-5-2 NMSA 1978) and this section, a person possessing a valid nonresident operator's or chauffeur's license must surrender it upon applying for a New Mexico operator's or chauffeur's license, or file an affidavit with the department of motor vehicles (now motor vehicle division) that he does not possess an operator's or chauffeur's license. 1964 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 64-145.