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SAFEGUARD PRIVACY OF ILLINOIS
DRIVERS AND VEHICLE OWNERS
By Secretary of State GEORGE H. RYAN
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I am pleased to announce that I recently proposed a
set of reforms aimed at safeguarding the privacy of
Illinois drivers and vehicle owners. While some changes
could be made immediately, I asked the General Assembly to enact other reforms during the spring legislative session.
These changes, in effect, let you and me know when
someone else is poking around for information (primarily names and addresses) in our driver or vehicle records. When they do, we will hold that request for 10
days, giving individuals a chance to take whatever steps
they deem appropriate.
Legislative changes were proposed as an amendment to Senate Bill 1093. On the June 25 deadline for
this article, the bill was awaiting its third reading in the
Illinois House. In addition to notification of requests for
records, the measure would provide for a fine of up to
$500 for persons who misrepresent their identity or
intent in obtaining driver or vehicle records. These
proposals stop short of eliminating the release of addresses. However, they do reach a significant middle
ground.
The Illinois Vehicle Code currently allows the release of several types of personal information, including home addresses and birth dates. Anyone can obtain
written copies of that information for $2 (for a drivers
license abstract) or $4 (for a vehicle registration search).
While much of this information is not sensitive, the
size of our database makes us a leading provider of
personal information. We must do what we can to balance personal privacy with the public's right to know.
As a first step, the Secretary of State's office is attaching a notice to drivers license and vehicle sticker
renewal applications, explaining that certain information must be disclosed under the state's public information laws. The notice also states that mailing lists sometimes are sold to commercial interests, but that people
can take steps to have their names removed from those
lists.
I recognize that "mass mailers" can be a nuisance to
some, but they threaten no one's personal safety. However, I feel it is important that people be informed of
this and know they can stop unwanted solicitations.
My new initiative is an outgrowth of a campaign
pledge to review the Secretary of State's policy on
releasing information to the public. The review showed
that the office has more than 15 million driver and
motor vehicle records on file, virtually all available to
the public.
With enactment of my proposals, Illinois would join
several other states that have altered their laws and
policies following the 1989 murder of Rebecca
Schaeffer. The television actress was stalked and killed
by a man who used California motor vehicle records to
learn her address.
Interest in the Secretary of State's driver and vehicle
records has grown over the years. Last year, businesses
and individuals paid nearly $10 million into the state
road fund for printed records or access to that database.
Under my proposals, law enforcement officials,
government agencies, financial institutions, insurance
companies and those in the automobile business would
be exempt from the 10-day notice requirement. Anyone
who obtains a signed waiver from an individual also
could obtain information without the 10-day wait.
I am willing to discuss options that would make
some of the now-public information available to the
news media without delay, perhaps by withholding
only addresses for the 10-day period.
In addition, I will form a Secretary of State's Advisory Council on Public Records and Privacy. Members
of the council will include information users, privacy
experts and members of the general public.
The council will be asked to review agreements
with bulk purchasers of information and study the option of releasing mailing, rather than home addresses, to
the public. The panel also will be asked to review the
current fees charged for mailing lists and public records.
The Secretary of State's office has not examined
privacy issues formally since 1983. •
Page 16 / Illinois Municipal Review / July 1991