Will not paying a New York Driver responsibility assessment do anything to my Missouri driver's license?

Answer 1

There is no clear answer to this issue.

Missouri participates in the Driver's License Compact, where out-of-state violations are shared with the driver's home state and may, or may not, be recorded on the driver's record in their state. Common out-of-state moving violations may affect your record and can result in insurance increases.

However, there is an interesting caveat. According to Wikipedia, "Under the Driver License Compact, in order for a driver's state to penalize him/her for an out-of-state offense, the driver's state must have the equivalent statute. If the driver's state does not have the statute, no action can be taken." [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_License_Compact]

Several motor vehicle lawyer websites specifically state that failure to pay the NYS Driver Responsibility Assessment will result in the suspension of driving privileges in New York State. If your state does not have a similar driver responsibility assessment program, it is doubtful that suspension of driving privileges in NYS will result in a similar suspension in your home state.

However, another thing to consider is that all 50 states and the District of Columbia report driving license suspensions and major moving violations to a national database called the National Driver Register. The NDR allows states to deny licenses to drivers who lost their previous license in another state, prevent duplicate licenses from being issued, and so on. It is uncertain if the suspension of NYS driving "privileges" could be reported to the NDR if a driver does not actually have a NYS license to be suspended. It is highly recommended that drivers consult a lawyer in their home state before coming to such a conclusion.