Most states have reciprocal agreements with each other or otherwise have decided to share traffic violation convictions that were received out of state back to the licensing state of the driver who received the citation. This can be for a minor offense such as a speeding ticket or a major offense such as a DUI.

The main reciprocal agreements with regards to traffic violations are the Drivers License Compact (DLC) and Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC). There is also the Drivers License Agreement (DLA) however it does not yet have the state membership that the other two Compacts currently have. There are states that do not take part in any of these compacts but instead have their own separate agreements that their Motor Vehicle administration has made with other states.

As a member of the DLC member states are required to report ticket convictions received by a motorist back to the state where they are licensed to drive. Their own state then determines if this offense will be placed on their driving record and if any points will be assessed.

The members of the DLC: include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Thus this leaves the states of Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin as non-members though most of these states still have their own agreements with other states to exchange information regarding traffic tickets.

The Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC) requires member states to suspend the drivers license of those who get traffic tickets for moving violations in other states and fail to pay them or otherwise legally take care of them.

Members of the NRVC include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

This leaves the states of Alaska, California, Michigan, Montana, Oregon and Wisconsin that are not members of the NRVC. Again they may have their own agreements though with other states and may still suspend or penalize a driver that does not pay their out of state ticket.

The DLC and the NRVC are supposedly being revised and combined into the new Driver License Agreement (DLA). In the effort to establish a one driver, one record system, the DLA hopes to be a more efficient and effective agreement for the jurisdictions to share and transmit driver and conviction information. However states have not gravitated to the DLA and so far only Connecticut, Massachusetts and Arkansas have signed up as members. There is legislature in other states pending though. Unlike the DLC and NRVC, the Provinces and Territories of Canada as well as the States/Federal District of Mexico can participate in the DLA.

There is also the National Driver Register (NDR) which all states and the District of Columbia report information to. The NDR contains records on those who have had their licenses revoked or suspended, or who have been convicted of serious traffic violations (i.e. DUI) throughout the United States.

When a person applies for a driver's license the state DMV should check to see if that driver's name is on the NDR file. If that person has been reported to the NDR as a problem driver, a license may be denied until the issue has taken care of and their license has been reinstated in the state that has the hold on their license.

For information on what states your home state shares information with check with your Department of Motor Vehicles.