Q: Can my son get a license in WI without triggering his his suspension in MN it’s been over 10 years. WI resident.
He has several driving after suspension in MN. Suspended for child support which has been cleared up for many years. But the tickets were never cleared up. He has lived in WI for over 10 years. He also failed to fulfill his probation requirements for a bogus domestic abuse case. He isn’t sure if their are any warrants. But he is afraid to try to get a license in WI because he thinks it will trigger any warrants there might be in MN. He is afraid that they might require him to do jail time in MN and he can’t afford to lose his job.
A:
Driver's license: Minnesota and Wisconsin have both passed the model Interstate Compact on Driver's Licenses. As a result, they report violations of residents to each other. He may have to clear his Minnesota license suspensions before Wisconsin will give him a license. But, he could apply for a Wisconsin license and see what happens. If denied, the denial letter may say why, or he could call the Wisconsin state driver's license agency to ask what he needs to do.
Out-of-state warrants: Arrest warrants are not always published to other states. And arrests warrant generally will go inactive after a few years. He could call a County Sheriff or other LEO in Wisconsin to ask them if there are any active warrants for someone with his name and DOB.
A: He will need to get cleared in MN to get a valid DL in WI. He should work to clear any warrants. Otherwise he runs the risk of getting pulled over in WI and then having to deal with an extradition back to MN.
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