Introduction
State departments of motor vehicles collected at least $282 million in fiscal year 2024 by selling driver and vehicle records to private companies, according to a public-records investigation by InvestigateTV released in October 2025. The figure reflects responses from only 23 of 50 state agencies, suggesting the national total is materially higher.
The disclosures, obtained from 35 state DMVs that responded to records requests, show that names, addresses, phone numbers, driver identification numbers, registration details and driving histories are routinely shared with data brokers, insurers, automakers, towing firms, debt collectors, private investigators and universities under a 1994 federal law.
Background: The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act
The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), enacted in 1994, was passed in response to the 1989 murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer, whose killer obtained her home address from California DMV records. The statute restricted public release of motor vehicle records but carved out 14 categories of “permissible use” — exceptions that allow law enforcement, courts, insurers, researchers, employers, private investigators and certain commercial entities to access the data.
In simple terms: the law was meant to lock down DMV files, but the exceptions are broad enough that most large data buyers qualify for at least one of them.
Pricing Structure and Opt-Out Availability
States generally do not characterize the transactions as “sales.” Most agencies describe the payments as fees that cover the cost of maintaining records and processing requests. Pricing structures vary widely. The Tennessee Department of Revenue charges as little as $5 per record, while the Kansas Department of Revenue executes bulk contracts that run into thousands of dollars per agreement. North Carolina charges 3 cents per record on bulk pulls.
Consumer opt-out is not generally available. According to the InvestigateTV review, only three states — Delaware, Wisconsin and Wyoming — told reporters that residents can opt out of certain data sharing. Wyoming’s Driver Services agency reported that after a 2012 review found more than 90% of state residents had opted out, the agency made opt-out the default status for all Wyoming drivers.
State-by-State Revenue Breakdown
The reported revenue figures (most recent disclosure year) include:
| State | Reported Revenue | Period |
| Georgia | $53 million+ | FY2024 |
| California | $49 million ($282M over 10 years) | FY2024 / 2014–2024 |
| Michigan | ~$81 million | Recent year |
| Florida | $77 million | 2017 |
| North Carolina | $123 million ($41M/yr avg) | Three-year cumulative |
| Oregon | $60 million+ | Since 2020 |
| New York | ~$58 million/year | Annual |
| South Carolina | $49 million | Three-year cumulative |
| Illinois | $45 million | 2022 |
| Indiana | $25 million | FY2024 |
| Ohio | $20 million (from 289 buyers) | FY2024 |
| Wisconsin | $17 million | 2018 |
| Texas | $2–3 million/year | Recent |
| Missouri | $2 million+ | Five-year cumulative |
| Kansas | $1.16 million (2 buyers) | 2024 |
| Rhode Island | ~$400,000 | Cumulative |
Some states declined to provide totals without payment of substantial fees, including Michigan, which provided a fee breakdown rather than aggregate revenue.
Largest Purchasers
DMV data buyers fall into several categories. The largest commercial purchasers identified across multiple state disclosures include:
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions — identified as the top buyer of DMV records in North Carolina and one of South Carolina’s top customers, where the company spent approximately $320,000 in the most recent reporting period. LexisNexis paid a $5.13 million settlement in 2021 over allegations it resold DPPA-protected crash reports to law firms for marketing, and reached a separate $5 million Indiana settlement.
- CARFAX — reported as a multi-million-dollar buyer of DMV data in 2024 across multiple states. The company is currently defending a February 2025 proposed class action alleging unlawful sale of accident reports.
- Experian Automotive — a major bulk buyer in Oregon and South Carolina.
- Acxiom and Thomson Reuters — cited by industry observers as significant aggregators of DMV-sourced records.
- Auto Data Direct — identified as a top-tier buyer in Indiana.
Insurance companies, towing operators, recall-notice vendors, employment screeners and licensed private investigators round out the largest categories of buyers.
Documented Harms and Breaches
Downstream incidents have included identity theft, stalking and unauthorized commercial marketing. In Texas, a 2024 DMV-related data breach exposed approximately 27 million driver records. Florida’s DMV previously sold data to a vendor later linked to an identity-theft ring, affecting thousands of state residents. California disclosed a 2019 incident in which driver data was sent to seven government agencies that were not authorized to receive it.
Civil litigation has intensified. The Indiana suit against LexisNexis and the pending 2025 putative class action against CARFAX both center on whether DPPA “permissible use” protections extend to downstream resale of crash reports for marketing.
Analysis
The DPPA’s structure — federal protection layered with state-administered exceptions — has produced inconsistent privacy outcomes. Drivers in Delaware, Wisconsin and Wyoming retain meaningful control over their records; drivers in the other 47 states generally do not. The financial incentives for state agencies are non-trivial: in several states, DMV data fees fund highway programs, IT modernization or general operations.
Congressional interest has been episodic. The bipartisan DATA Act, reintroduced in recent sessions, would require explicit consumer consent before state agencies could release DMV records for non-governmental purposes. The bill has not advanced to a floor vote.
Conclusion
Driver-record sales remain a substantial and largely unregulated revenue stream for U.S. state motor vehicle agencies. Until the DPPA’s permissible-use framework is narrowed or supplanted, the 47 states without consumer opt-outs will continue to monetize data that drivers are compelled to provide as a condition of licensing. The current trajectory of litigation against major buyers — and the steady accumulation of breach incidents — suggests that the legal and policy environment is more likely to tighten than to expand.
Key Takeaways
- 23 state DMVs reported at least $282 million in driver-data revenue in FY2024; the true national total is higher.
- Only Delaware, Wisconsin and Wyoming allow consumer opt-outs of certain data sharing.
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions and CARFAX are among the largest commercial buyers.
- The 1994 DPPA permits sharing through 14 statutory exceptions.
- Per-record pricing ranges from $5 (Tennessee) to bulk contracts in the thousands (Kansas).
- Pending class actions and prior settlements have begun to test the limits of “permissible use.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do states make selling driver data?
An InvestigateTV public-records investigation found that 23 states collected at least $282 million in fiscal year 2024 selling driver and vehicle records to private companies. The actual national total is higher because 27 states either did not respond or did not disclose aggregate figures.
Which state DMV makes the most money selling driver data?
Georgia reported more than $53 million in FY2024 driver-data revenue, the highest among responding states. California collected $49 million in FY2024 and $282 million over the prior decade on more than 2 billion records.
Can I opt out of my state DMV selling my information?
Only three states — Delaware, Wisconsin and Wyoming — currently allow drivers to opt out of certain data sharing. Wyoming made opt-out the default after a 2012 review found more than 90 percent of residents had opted out.
Who are the largest commercial buyers of DMV data?
LexisNexis Risk Solutions and CARFAX are among the largest commercial purchasers. Experian Automotive, Acxiom, Thomson Reuters and Auto Data Direct are also major aggregators of DMV-sourced data.
Is it legal for state DMVs to sell driver data?
Yes. The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) of 1994 permits state DMVs to disclose personal information for 14 enumerated categories of permissible use, including insurance, law enforcement, research, private investigation and motor vehicle safety.
How much does an individual DMV record cost?
Pricing varies widely. The Tennessee Department of Revenue charges as little as $5 per record. North Carolina charges roughly 3 cents per record on bulk pulls. Kansas executes bulk contracts that can run into thousands of dollars per agreement.
Related Coverage from NexfinityNews
- Flock Safety Surveillance Expansion: How Local Cameras Built a National Police Network — Investigation into how Flock’s 76,000+ ALPR cameras became a de facto federal surveillance system.
- Chatrie v. United States: The SCOTUS Case That Could Reshape Digital Surveillance — Inside the Supreme Court geofence warrant case and what it means for location data privacy.
- Beyond the DMV: The Private Camera Networks Tracking American Drivers — Part 2 of this series — how private ALPR networks bypass the DPPA entirely.
- How a License Plate Becomes a Person — Part 3 — the correlation pipeline that ties surveillance data to named drivers.
- Can You Opt Out? A Driver’s Guide to the Limited Tools That Work in 2026 — Part 4 — what drivers can actually do, with direct links and manufacturer instructions.
- Are Automakers Now Data Companies? The Recurring Revenue Math — Part 5 — the corporate strategy behind the surveillance economy.
Sources
- InvestigateTV / Gray Media, “States collect millions by selling drivers’ data to private investigators, data brokers,” October 27, 2025.
- WCNC Charlotte, “DMVs sold driver and vehicle records and made $172M,” July 26, 2021.
- KCTV5 Investigates, “Kansas, Missouri can sell personal data to private companies through decades-old federal law,” November 19, 2025.
- WRTV Indianapolis, “Indiana BMV explains why it sells driver data,” January 27, 2026.
- Live 5 News (Charleston), “SCDMV selling millions of dollars in personal data to private companies,” February 2, 2026.
- ObscureIQ, “The Hidden Market in DMV Records,” September 29, 2025.
- Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994, 18 U.S.C. § 2721 et seq.