South Carolina DMV collected nearly $100 million selling driver data over five years, records show

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - South Carolina’s Department of Motor Vehicles has collected nearly $100 million over at least the past five years from driver data requests and bulk data access, according to records reviewed by WIS Investigates.

The data can include information tied to drivers’ records, such as names, addresses, registration data and driving history, depending on who is requesting it and for what purpose.

While the practice is allowed under federal law, many drivers WIS spoke with said they did not know their information could be shared in the first place.

“No, we did not,” Walter Webb said. “It’s an invasion of privacy.”

The DMV cites the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, or DPPA, as the legal basis for releasing certain records. The law limits how personal driver information can be disclosed, but it also allows exceptions for specific uses, including insurance matters, accident reporting and other approved purposes.

University of South Carolina law professor David Sella-Villas said the legal structure is in place, even if most drivers are unaware of it.

“There is a federal law that says that state DMVs are allowed to make available information about your driving record for certain purposes, such as insurance, such as accident reporting,” Sella-Villas said.

Still, not everyone is comfortable with the state collecting money tied to access to driver data.

Webb said he worries about how that information could be used, especially by private companies.

“They can sell my information to a marketing company — and I get how many calls a day about marketing?” Webb said. “I’m not in favor of them selling it.”

The South Carolina DMV told WIS that driver data cannot be used for marketing or solicitation under state law. The agency said companies seeking access must sign contracts and that the DMV can audit users, suspend access or refer suspected misuse to law enforcement.

Some residents told WIS they see a public benefit in making at least some government-held information accessible.

“There’s definitely limits and, like, you want things to be private,” Sarah Walker said. “But at the end of the day, if it is public data, then we’re becoming more informed.”

Others questioned not just the data sharing itself, but where the money goes.

“Where’s the money going? Who’s the money going to?” Mary Webb said. “If the DMV is getting the money, what are they doing with the money?”

The DMV told WIS it charges Freedom of Information Act fees only to recover costs and said neither the agency nor the state profits from those charges.

For bulk data requests, the agency said the money goes to the State Highway Fund, which supports road infrastructure projects across South Carolina under a 2016 state law.

For Columbia resident Shambi Broome, the central issue is transparency.

“It’s kind of sad if we’re not alerted to it,” Broome said. “I feel awareness — whether it’s even an email — when we renew our license or our tag, that this information will be used… and maybe even giving that option to opt out.”

That option does not currently exist in South Carolina for licensed drivers.

That means drivers who want a South Carolina license cannot choose to withhold their information from the kinds of data sharing permitted under the law.

South Carolina is not alone in allowing DMV data sharing. States across the country participate in similar practices. But records reviewed by WIS show that nearly $97 million was collected in South Carolina over five years, placing the state among the highest in the nation.

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