Structuring Legal Agreements for Driver’s License Data Integration

Data Integration Support Center

This supplement expands on “Driver’s License Data Can Help States Better Understand Education and Workforce Pathways” by the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) and the Data Quality Campaign (DQC). That brief aims to help state leaders understand the utility and risk of including driver’s license data in their statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) matching process. This supplement looks at different models for structuring legal agreements when accessing driver’s license data.

Driver’s license data held by state motor vehicle agencies (MVAs) can substantially improve the accuracy and completeness of SLDS matching across education and workforce records. However, accessing those data requires a formal legal agreement—and the design of that agreement has direct consequences for privacy protection, operational sustainability, and legal compliance.

This brief helps SLDS directors and their legal and policy staff understand the primary structural models states have used to access driver’s license data. It also outlines the components of a sound data-sharing agreement under each model.