Transportation
Driver’s Licensing
Updated January 2008
The states and the District of Colombia license more than 191 million drivers, who represent roughly 88 percent of those eligible for a license. Since as early as 1903, when Massachusetts and Missouri enacted the first state driver's licensing laws, states and territories have administered their own driver licensing systems. Since 1959, all states have required an examination that tests actual driving skills and traffic safety knowledge before a license is issued. Examining drivers and issuing licenses, however, is no longer the sole concern of state licensing agencies. Because the driver's license has assumed a role beyond traffic safety, where both government and private entities rely on the license for personal identification, state legislatures and driver's license agencies are concerned about the safety and security of the license as an identifier.
NCSL Publications
- "Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action 2007," Transportation Series No. 32, December 2007, by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen, and Anne Teigen.
- Motor Vehicle Registration and License Plates, Transportation Review, July 2007 by Anne Teigen
- "Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action 2006," Transportation Series No. 31, March 2007, by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen and Jeanne Mejeur.
- REAL ID Update, April 2006
- The Proposed Driver's License Agreement: An Analysis, March 2005.
- Driver's Licenses and Identification Cards, 2004, February 2005.
- "Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action 2004," Transportation Series No. 20, December 2004.
- Driver's Licenses and Identification Cards, October 2003.
- "Highway Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Update, 2003," Transportation Series, January 2004, No. 19 by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen, Cathrine Chan.
Other Links
NCSL Contacts
Jim Reed
Melissa Savage
Anne Teigen
Matt Sundeen
 Traffic Safety page
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