4-402 - Driver's License Program

This policy incorporates the requirements of the City's Driver's License Program that pertain to MPD members. Compliance with this policy is intended to satisfy the requirements of the City’s program.

The purpose of the City’s program is to ensure that every driver for the City of Minneapolis has a valid driver’s license with appropriate endorsement(s). Information about the City’s program is available on the City’s intranet site and may also be obtained by requesting it from the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator.

1. A valid driver's license and confirmed eligibility to drive under this policy are required for anyone operating an MPD vehicle, a City vehicle, or a privately owned or personal vehicle used to conduct MPD business. Any member who fails to comply with this policy may be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge.

2. Without confirmation of a valid driver’s license and appropriate endorsements, members shall not drive to conduct Department or City business, and cannot perform jobs for which the essential functions require the ability to drive.
3. A member who is required to drive as part of their job duties may be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge, if they become ineligible to drive. A member who is required to drive a Department or City vehicle as part of their job duties may be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge, if they are only eligible to drive with restrictions that would prevent them from driving Department or City vehicles.

License Checks

1. The MPD Driver’s License Coordinator or their designee will conduct a check annually to ensure that any member who drives or operates a Department vehicle, City vehicle, or a privately owned or personal vehicle used for MPD business, has a valid driver’s license, without restrictions that would prevent driving Department or City vehicles (if applicable), and the appropriate license endorsements (if applicable).
2. If the MPD has reason to believe that the status of a member’s driver’s license may have changed affecting their eligibility to drive to conduct MPD business, additional checks may be conducted as needed to verify that the driver’s license and applicable endorsements remain valid and to determine if there are any work-related restrictions.
3. Driver’s license checks will also be conducted as needed for any non-sworn member in a new work assignment that requires driving and for a non-sworn member who requests to become an eligible driver.

The Program Form

1. All members will be provided the City of Minneapolis Driver’s Licensing Program-Driver/Operator Information electronic form at least every three years, and shall review the form, complete it, and return it to the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator. Non-sworn members who are not required to drive as part of their work assignment and are not requesting to become an eligible driver, will indicate that information on the form and driver’s license information will not be collected and no driver’s license checks will be conducted.
2. All members who are required to drive as part of their work assignment and all non-sworn members requesting to become an eligible driver, will complete the electronic form in its entirety. Member authorization to conduct driver’s license checks will be effective for three years.

3. Members who do not complete the form will be deemed to have withheld consent for having their driver’s license status checked, and will be considered ineligible to drive under this program.

Request Eligibility to Drive

1. Any member who is not required to drive as part of their essential functions but who would like to become an eligible driver may contact the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator to request eligibility.

2. If a member’s essential functions change to require driving, the member shall contact the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator to request eligibility; this includes all non-sworn new hires.

Provide Information to the Coordinator

1. Members shall show their driver’s license or provide a copy of it to the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator or their designee upon request.
2. Members shall immediately report any changes in their driver’s license status to their supervisor and the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator or their designee.

List of Eligibility

1. The list of eligible MPD drivers will be maintained by the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator or their designee, and will be available to Command Staff.

2. The MPD Driver’s License Coordinator or their designee will notify supervisors of any changes to the eligibility to drive for their subordinates, including confirmation of the eligibility to drive for non-sworn members requesting it or needing it for a new work assignment.

Program Administration

1. The City’s Driver’s License Program will be administered by MPD for MPD members. The Chief of Police will assign the personnel responsible for administering the Driver’s License Program for the MPD.

2. Records related to the Driver’s License Program will be maintained by the MPD Driver’s License Coordinator.

Data Access

Government record data access will be used only to confirm the status of a driver’s license, current restrictions, and adequate endorsement(s) (if applicable), at the time of the data access. This access will not be used to address members’ past driving records, or to record data about their past driving records, other than data related to their current driver’s license status, restrictions and endorsements.