WI
Wisconsin Senate Bill SB63

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB63 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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44 2025 SENATE BILL 63
55 February 21, 2025 - Introduced by Senators JACQUE, LARSON, CARPENTER,
66 DASSLER-ALFHEIM, RATCLIFF and ROYS, cosponsored by Representatives
77 MOSES, ANDRACA, ANDERSON, BARE, DITTRICH, GUNDRUM, HYSELL, J.
88 JACOBSON, JOERS, MIRESSE, MURSAU, ORTIZ-VELEZ, PALMERI, ROE, SINICKI,
99 SPAUDE, SUBECK, UDELL and BEHNKE. Referred to Committee on
1010 Transportation and Local Government.
1111 AN ACT to create 85.65 of the statutes; relating to: ratification of the Driver
1212 License Compact.
1313 Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
1414 This bill enters Wisconsin into the Driver License Compact, which establishes
1515 standards for the treatment and exchange of driver licensing and conviction
1616 information and other data pertinent to the licensing process.
1717 The DLC requires all participating states to recognize certain kinds of
1818 violations relating mostly to operating motor vehicles and the administrative
1919 actions taken in response to those violations, such as suspension or revocation of a
2020 person[s operating privilege by the appropriate state agency (DLC code violations).
2121 Under the DLC, when a person who is licensed in one state that is a party to the
2222 DLC commits a DLC code violation in another party state, the licensing state takes
2323 administrative action in response to the violation, based on information provided by
2424 the state in which the violation occurred. Any administrative action by a party state
2525 is recognized by all other party states. The DLC also generally provides that records
2626 concerning a licensed driver are maintained only by the licensing state.
2727 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
2828 an appendix to this bill.
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3434 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
3535 enact as follows:
3636 SECTION 1. 85.65 of the statutes is created to read:
3737 85.65 Driver License Compact. The Driver License Compact is enacted
3838 into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining the compact in
3939 the following form:
4040 (1) ARTICLE I - FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY. (a) The party states
4141 find that:
4242 1. The safety of their streets and highways is materially affected by the degree
4343 of compliance with state and local ordinances relating to the operation of motor
4444 vehicles.
4545 2. Violation of a law or ordinance relating to the operation of motor vehicles is
4646 evidence that the violator engages in conduct which is likely to endanger the safety
4747 of persons and property.
4848 3. The continuance in force of a license to drive is predicated upon compliance
4949 with laws and ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles, in whichever
5050 jurisdiction the vehicle is operated.
5151 (b) It is the policy of each of the party states to:
5252 1. Promote compliance with the laws, ordinances, and administrative rules
5353 and regulations relating to the operation of motor vehicles by their operators in each
5454 of the jurisdictions where these operators drive motor vehicles.
5555 2. Make the reciprocal recognition of licenses to drive and eligibility for
5656 licenses to drive more just and equitable by considering the overall compliance with
5757 motor vehicle laws, ordinances, and administrative rules and regulations as a
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8383 SECTION 1
8484 condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of any license by reason of which
8585 the licensee is authorized or permitted to operate a motor vehicle in any of the party
8686 states.
8787 (2) ARTICLE II - DEFINITIONS. As used in this compact:
8888 (a) XConvictionY means a conviction of any offense related to the use or
8989 operation of a motor vehicle that is prohibited by state law, municipal ordinance, or
9090 administrative rule or regulation or a forfeiture of bail, bond, or other security
9191 deposited to secure appearance by a person charged with having committed any of
9292 these offenses and which conviction or forfeiture is required to be reported to the
9393 licensing authority.
9494 (b) XHome stateY means the state that has issued and has the power to
9595 suspend or revoke the use of the license or permit to operate a motor vehicle.
9696 (c) XStateY means a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the
9797 District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
9898 (3) ARTICLE III - REPORTS OF CONVICTION. The licensing authority of a party
9999 state shall report each conviction of a person from another party state occurring
100100 within its jurisdiction to the licensing authority of the home state of the licensee.
101101 The report shall clearly identify the person convicted, describe the violation
102102 specifying the section of the statute, code, or ordinance violated, identify the court
103103 in which action was taken, indicate whether a plea of guilty or not guilty was
104104 entered or the conviction was a result of the forfeiture of bail, bond, or other
105105 security, and shall include any special findings made in connection with the
106106 conviction.
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134134 (4) ARTICLE IV - EFFECT OF CONVICTION. (a) The licensing authority in the
135135 home state, for the purposes of suspension, revocation, or limitation of the license to
136136 operate a motor vehicle, shall give the same effect to the conduct reported, pursuant
137137 to sub. (3), as it would if the conduct had occurred in the home state in the case of
138138 convictions for:
139139 1. Manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from the operation of a motor
140140 vehicle.
141141 2. Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or
142142 a narcotic drug, or under the influence of any other drug to a degree which renders
143143 the driver incapable of safely driving a motor vehicle.
144144 3. Any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used.
145145 4. Failure to stop and render aid in the event of a motor vehicle accident
146146 resulting in the death or personal injury of another.
147147 (b) As to other convictions, reported pursuant to sub. (3), the licensing
148148 authority in the home state shall give that effect to the conduct as is provided by the
149149 laws of the home state.
150150 (c) If the laws of a party state do not provide for offenses or violations
151151 denominated or described in precisely the words employed in par. (a) of this article,
152152 the party state shall construe the denominations and descriptions appearing in par.
153153 (a) of this article as being applicable to and identifying those offenses or violations
154154 of a substantially similar nature and the laws of that party state shall contain those
155155 provisions that are necessary to ensure that full force and effect is given to this
156156 article.
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183183 SECTION 1
184184 (5) ARTICLE V - APPLICATIONS FOR NEW LICENSES. Upon application for a
185185 license to drive, the licensing authority in a party state shall ascertain whether the
186186 applicant has ever held or is the holder of a license to drive issued by any other
187187 party state. The licensing authority in the state where application is made shall
188188 not issue a license to drive to the applicant if:
189189 (a) The applicant has held a license issued by any other party state, but the
190190 license has been suspended by reason, in whole or in part, of a violation and if the
191191 suspension period has not terminated.
192192 (b) The applicant has held a license issued by any other party state, but the
193193 license has been revoked by reason, in whole or in part, of a violation and if the
194194 revocation has not terminated, except that after the expiration of one year from the
195195 date the license was revoked the person may make application for a new license if
196196 permitted by law. The licensing authority may refuse to issue a license to an
197197 applicant under this paragraph if, after investigation, the licensing authority
198198 determines that it will not be safe to grant to the person the privilege of driving a
199199 motor vehicle on the public highways.
200200 (c) The applicant is the holder of a license to drive issued by another party
201201 state and currently in force unless the applicant surrenders the license.
202202 (6) ARTICLE VI - APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAWS. Except as expressly required
203203 by provisions of this compact, nothing contained in this compact shall be construed
204204 to affect the right of any party state to apply any of its other laws relating to licenses
205205 to drive to any person or circumstance, nor to invalidate or prevent any driver
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231231 SECTION 1
232232 license agreement or other cooperative arrangement between a party state and a
233233 nonparty state.
234234 (7) ARTICLE VII - COMPACT ADMINISTRATOR AND INTERCHANGE OF
235235 INFORMATION. (a) The head of the licensing authority of each party state shall be
236236 the administrator of this compact for his or her state. The administrators, acting
237237 jointly, shall have the power to formulate all necessary and proper procedures for
238238 the exchange of information under this compact.
239239 (b) The administrator of each party state shall furnish to the administrator of
240240 each other party state any information or documents reasonably necessary to
241241 facilitate the administration of this compact.
242242 (8) ARTICLE VIII - ENTRY INTO FORCE AND WITHDRAWAL. (a) This compact
243243 shall enter into force and become effective as to any state when it has enacted the
244244 compact into law.
245245 (b) Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute
246246 repealing the compact, but the withdrawal shall not take effect until 6 months after
247247 the executive head of the withdrawing state has given notice of the withdrawal to
248248 the executive heads of all other party states. No withdrawal shall affect the validity
249249 or applicability by the licensing authorities of states remaining party to the
250250 compact of any report of conviction occurring prior to the withdrawal.
251251 (9) ARTICLE IX - CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY. This compact shall be
252252 liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes of the compact. The provisions
253253 of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of
254254 this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of
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281281 SECTION 1
282282 the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or
283283 circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the
284284 applicability of the compact to any government, agency, person, or circumstance
285285 shall not be affected by the holding. If this compact shall be held contrary to the
286286 constitution of any state party to the compact, the compact shall remain in full force
287287 and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state
288288 affected as to all severable matters.
289289 (END)
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