TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Data Lawsuit Brings $1 Credit To Florida Drivers

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: August 13, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - About 10 million Florida motorists will get $1 off their annual vehicle registration renewals in 2009-10 as the result of a federal lawsuit settlement approved Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Crist and the state Cabinet.

The lawsuit accused the state of violating the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act by selling personal information from vehicle registration and driver license records to mass marketers from June 1, 2000, through Sept. 30, 2004.

Only those motorists who had a Florida driver's license or a car registered in Florida during that time will get the dollar off.

The credit will cost the state $10.4 million, but that's much less than the $39 billion sought by the lawsuit, said Electra Theodorides-Bustle, executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

In addition, each of the four motorists who sued will receive $3,000 and their lawyers will get $2.85 million in fees and $20,000 in costs.

The department will request the money from the Legislature next year, Theodorides-Bustle said.

An existing state law permitted the sale of information from motor vehicle records when the federal law went into effect in 2000. It wasn't changed to conform with the federal law until 2004.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT