Action Alert
End Debt-Based Driver’s License Program
Updated Notice: This action alert is now expired. Thank you for helping us take action.
- As of December 2023, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) had nearly 3.7 million FTAP holds on record, with an average of five holds per person.
- City courts issue FTAP holds at a significantly higher rate than JP courts, 1.2 times higher.
- According to the state, 295,555 residents with active licenses and 402,277 with expired ones are among the Texans impacted by these holds, for a total of 697,832 drivers.
- The cost of a lost license associated with a debt-based restriction can range, on average, between $12,700 and $23,550 annually. Texans collectively lose over $5 billion in annual earnings.
- Personal earnings lost due to a lost license varies widely across Texas, costing some rural communities millions of dollars.
- Despite representing only 11% of Texans with driver’s licenses, Black drivers make up 34% of drivers with an FTAP hold(s) in both the active and expired license group.
House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
You Can Contact Any Member of the Committee
Email Subject
#1: End Debt-Based Driver’s License Holds, Pass HB 2609
#2: Help Texans Get Back on the Road, and Back to Work, End the FTAP Program
Message Body
Dear [Recipient’s Title and Name],
I am writing to urge you to support policies that promote economic mobility and public safety by passing HB 2609 to repeal the Failure to Appear/Pay (FTAP) Program. This program unfairly punishes low-income Texans by denying them the ability to renew their driver’s licenses due to unpaid court fines and fees that mostly stem from minor offenses like traffic tickets.
Many Texans struggle to maintain employment or access to essential services without a valid license. Studies show that a valid license is a stronger predictor of employment than a high school diploma. Texans with expired licenses due to the FTAP Program lose between $5 and $9.5 billion annually in earnings. This loss affects not only individuals but also the broader state economy.
Additionally, the program fails to achieve its goals: courts using the FTAP Program do not collect more revenue and, in fact, issue warrants at rates nearly four times higher than courts that do not use the program. Ending the FTAP program would not lead to an increase in warrants, as some fear; data show that courts that terminated their contract with the program's vendor saw no reduction in their collected revenue.
Passing HB 2609 is about restoring financial stability for families, boosting economic growth, and getting Texans legally back on the road. It will remove unnecessary barriers that trap people in cycles of debt and instability.
Please support this critical legislation and repeal the FTAP Program to ensure every Texan has a fair chance to move forward and thrive.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
Click here to access our updated analysis of the state's the Failure to Appear/Pay Program. Thank you for supporting the repeal of the FTAP program! Your efforts will help thousands of Texans get back on the road.