For Immediate Release
Date: July 23, 2008
Contact: David Griffith
Phone: (573) 751-8222

Department of Revenue Responds to Class Action Lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY – Today the Missouri Department of Revenue (Department) refuted claims that it unlawfully disclosed, sold or disseminated Missourians’ personal information.  Both federal and state laws require the Department to provide restricted personal information to certain qualified purchasers.  Since 2005, the Department has taken steps to protect and minimize access to the personal information of all Missourians by closing many procedural loopholes in place before 2005 that made Missourians vulnerable to identity theft.

“Safeguarding personal information is one of the Department’s top priorities.  This administration has taken aggressive action to correct the complacency of the past and to protect Missourians’ personal information,” said Director of Revenue Omar Davis.  “The companies involved in this abuse were lawfully entitled to receive the information provided and certified, under penalty of perjury, that they were obtaining and using the information in accordance with the law.  The companies intentionally deceived the Department, and their access to the information was immediately revoked when we discovered their deception in February.”

Davis cited the Department’s recently thwarted attempts to enhance motor vehicle and driver license systems’ security and to increase the record sales prices as key components of an effort to further protect Missourians’ information.

“There are significant vulnerabilities in the current motor vehicle and driver systems.  Many Missourians may be unaware that current law allows out-of-state companies to cheaply buy their personal motor vehicle records and then sell this information to make a quick buck.  Raising the price for access to personal information would make it substantially more difficult for these businesses to buy and resell Missourians’ personal information,” said Davis.

Since 2005, the Department has implemented stricter guidelines for the receipt, storage, and destruction of records containing restricted personal information.  The Department now requires all customers with the highest level of access to motor vehicle and driver license information to undergo recertification to retain access to these records.  Through this recertification process, 2,672 accounts were closed for inadequate responses.  In addition, the Department has made it a priority to conduct audits of individuals and companies with access to personal information, a new safeguard implemented by this administration.

Director Davis said the Department takes its role in safeguarding Missourians’ information very seriously, will continue to look for new threats to the security of personal information, and will quickly implement needed changes to address those threats.

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