S-2430               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 3790

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Cantu, Granlund, Johnson, Owen, Craswell and Bailey)

Read first time 3/8/85.

AN ACT Relating to the disclosure of drivers' license records; and amending RCW 46.20.171.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 19, chapter 121, Laws of 1965 ex. sess. as amended by section 55, chapter 136, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 46.20.171 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The department shall file every application for a license or permit received by it and shall maintain suitable indexes containing the following:

          (a) All applications denied and on each thereof note the reasons for such denial;

          (b) All applications granted; and

          (c) The name of every licensee whose license has been suspended or revoked by the department and after each such name shall note the reasons for such action.

          (2) The department shall also maintain a record for every licensed driver which shall include all accident reports and abstracts of court records of convictions and findings that a traffic infraction has been committed received by it under the laws of this state and in connection therewith maintain convenient records in order that an individual record of each licensee showing the licensee's convictions, the findings that he has committed a traffic infraction, the traffic accidents in which he has been involved and any prior actions taken by the department in connection with his driving record shall be readily ascertainable for the consideration of the department.

(3) The department shall not make available for public inspection or copying under chapter 42.17 RCW, or otherwise provide access to, applications for a driver's license or permit or identicard or information in its drivers' files concerning an applicant's, permittee's, or licensee's date of birth or physical or mental characteristics or conditions.  The department shall not give, sell, or otherwise provide access to lists of individual holders of drivers' licenses or permits or identicards, or those persons' addresses.

Such records and information shall be made available:

(a) As necessary to carry out the duties or authorized activities of the department; or

(b) To a federal, state, local, or Canadian government agency or educational institution, or its authorized commercial agents or contractors, only for use in, and to the extent necessary for, the performance of the duties of the government agency; or

(c) To persons otherwise permitted by law to obtain access to or copies of the department's records, only to the extent necessary to achieve the purpose of the law or laws permitting such disclosure.