Madison County Clerk warns new interstate DMV data-sharing may block license renewals

Madison County Clerk Mike Kellum warned Monday that a newly upgraded driver-license system tied to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is pulling older, out-of-state driving records into local checks and has, in some cases, blocked residents from getting duplicate or renewed licenses.

Kellum said the county has seen two customers in the last two weeks who were unable to get a duplicate license after information from other states populated the national register. "It was a speeding ticket from 1989 showing up that had not bothered his New York license since then," he said, describing one case that required county staff to contact New York State DMV to investigate what was being populated.

The problem, Kellum said, appears linked to the way states are sharing information into the National Driver Register. He urged residents who travel across state lines or who have older tickets to proactively check their records. "So folks, if you have something in your past with a driver record, with a ticket that has been dormant, that has not been a problem for you, you might want to start trying to find those things," Kellum said.

Kellum said one affected customer contacted Massachusetts and was told that the state had no record under that name and birth date; the clerk's office then routed inquiries through New York State DMV channels to identify the source of the entry. Kellum did not say whether the county or state took any corrective administrative action beyond contacting the New York agency.

The clerk's office is advising residents to bring supporting documentation, check with the DMV in states where they have lived or traveled, and to contact the Madison County Clerk's Office if they encounter problems obtaining a duplicate or renewal. Kellum asked listeners to share the warning with friends and family to avoid being "trapped in the system."