What specific data fields are shared via S2S/SPEXS between state DMVs and who can query them?

1. What S2S/SPEXS is and the architecture that matters for fields shared

S2S is described by AAMVA as a verification service enabling one state to electronically check with other participating states to learn whether an applicant currently holds a driver license or ID in another jurisdiction, and SPEXS is the platform that supports it — a hub/“pointer” system rather than a simple email exchange — implemented in 2015 ^[1]. Some analysts and advocacy organizations characterize SPEXS as a centralized national database that receives batch uploads of state records ^[3], while AAMVA frames the system as pointer records with a Duplicate Resolution Tool and collaborative interface for jurisdictions to exchange notes about potential duplicate pairs ^{[1] [3]}.

2. Which specific data fields are reportedly included (and what’s disputed)

AAMVA and researchers report that SPEXS/S2S maintains limited pointer data elements rather than full DMV file dumps, and AAMVA “requires certain ‘pointer’ data elements” in each SPEXS record ^{[2] [1]}. Independent watchdogs and archives note that states have uploaded license/ID records into SPEXS and that the system has contained a record for each driver’s license or ID issued by participating jurisdictions, a process that can include batch uploads of core identifying fields — though exact field lists vary and some elements (like photos) were reported as not included as of early 2020 ^{[3] [2]}. In short: AAMVA mandates a minimal set of pointer fields; advocacy groups report bulk uploads of broader license/ID records; photos were reportedly excluded from pointer records as of February 2020 ^{[2] [3]}.

3. Who can query SPEXS/S2S and how access is governed

Access to SPEXS reporting tools and the Duplicate Resolution Tool is limited to authorized jurisdictional users in participating states and to federal members that AAMVA recognizes; AAMVA’s SPEXS WebUI Reporting Portal is available to authorized jurisdictional users, and SPEXS privacy documentation is made available to jurisdiction and federal members ^[1]. NILC and other advocates emphasize that only participating states — roughly a minority number identified in AAMVA materials and advocacy reporting — are connected, and states can decide whether to join or limit the kinds of information they upload or allow other states to query ^{[4] [1]}.

4. Legal controls, secrecy, and competing agendas

Federal law governing DMV data disclosure — the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) — restricts public disclosure and contains statutory exceptions, meaning policymakers, vendors, and state administrators negotiate who may receive data and for what purposes ^[5]. Advocates warn that AAMVA’s development and some SPEXS materials have been moved behind member logins and that DHS funding and grant incentives can push states toward implementation, revealing an implicit federal-to‑private influence and a transparency gap that shapes what fields end up being shared ^{[4] [1]}. AAMVA’s position emphasizes operational efficiency and fraud prevention via duplicate resolution, while privacy groups focus on how batch uploads and pointer records can aggregate broad personal data if states choose to include more than the minimum required fields ^{[1] [3]}.

5. Bottom line and limits of available reporting

The available sources converge on these core facts: S2S/SPEXS is a pointer verification system managed by AAMVA, it requires a set of pointer data elements (though advocacy reporting documents broader batch uploads in practice), and only authorized jurisdictional and federal members can query SPEXS reports and the Duplicate Resolution Tool; the precise list of fields each state contributes and the query privileges that each jurisdiction grants are partly state‑controlled and not fully public, so verification of an exact canonical field list requires obtaining SPEXS/S2S specifications or state DMV policies directly ^{[1] [2] [4] [3]}.