State audit reveals Utah Drivers License Division may overshare personal info

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Drivers License Division has a lot of your personal info, and a new state audit says that sometimes they overshare it.

The DLD gave personal identifying info with three state agencies, which is in violation of state law.

“From our perspective, the driver license division could take steps to better protect personally identifiable information,” State Auditor John Dougall said.

“In an era when the security and privacy of personal information is already at significant risk, state agencies must be careful to limit sharing of information and must review compliance with the restrictions placed on the use and storage of sensitive information.”

Here are some of those items the audit stated that were improperly shared : names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses numbers, weight, height, addresses of people “undecided” about organ donation, and license issue dates of “individuals who have outstanding debt”.

Dougall says the division shares your stuff with various private and government agencies, with the best of intentions, but they need to be more careful. Typically it should only provide information when it determines it is in the best interest of public safety.

Dougall recommends internal reviews on a share-by-share basis to make sure only what other agencies have to know is being shared. That’s because these days “that information is at significant risk”.

He says the audit didn’t look into whether any of the info had gotten into the wrong hands.