The federal DPPA was enacted in 1994
Congress enacted the federal Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act of 1994 to provide strong privacy protections regarding personally identifiable information held by state DMVs. The DPPA’s purpose, as stated in the bill’s preamble, was “to protect the personal privacy and safety of licensed drivers consistent with the legitimate needs of business and government.” More recently, the U.S. Supreme Court summarized the legislative history and explained that Congress decided to override state laws with the DPPA because of “the States’ common practice of selling personal information to businesses engaged in direct marketing and solicitation.” Maracich v. Spears, 570 U.S. (June 17, 2013)