What does "eligible" mean when PD is running a drivers license?

[rolypolyman]

This is on the PD frequency in a small city in east Texas. A snippet of conversation is:

Officer: [Reads drivers license]
(pause)
Dispatch: "[Name] is eligible, Class C, clear, expires [date]."

I get the "clear" means no warrants but what does "eligible" mean? I did a search for this on Google and couldn't find anything since "eligible" is such a common word.

 

[Sanscanman]

It means they hold an active motor vehicle license.

 

[buddrousa]

In my area is they are unlicensed but eligible for a Licensee.

 

[rolypolyman]

Some of them come back as "not eligible", what does this mean? I hear other conversations where they just say "suspended". Maybe "not eligible" means expired? In other conversations they have no record, so I'm guessing that means they never applied for a license.

Thanks, appreciate the replies.

 

[Firekite]

I’ve wondered what that means before. My only guess at this point is that it could mean whether they are eligible to take defensive driving or something along those lines.

 

[frazpo]

Driver may be suspended but eligible for reinstatement.

 

[Firekite]

It means they hold an active motor vehicle license.

Driver may be suspended but eligible for reinstatement.

No, I don’t believe either of those guessed are the answer, based on context at least.

 

[frazpo]

No, I don’t believe either of those guessed are the answer, based on context at least.

Must have been used in different context. When I was an leo that was when I heard the term used on the radio.

 

[N0GTG]

We used that terminology if a subject had no license, or had an expired license, but was eligible to apply for a valid license.

 

[ecps92]

In Texas [sorry for the uppercase - am using copy-paste]

THE CARD STATUS "ELIGIBLE" INDICATES THAT THE PERSON IS ELIGIBLE TO HAVE A DRIVER LICENSE.

VERIFY THE EXPIRATION DATE, RESTRICTIONS, AND ENDORSEMENTS TO DETERMINE IF THE PERSON IS DRIVING LEGALLY.

CARD STATUS "NOT ELIGIBLE" INDICATES THAT THE PERSON IS NOT LICENSED TO DRIVE.

This is on the PD frequency in a small city in east Texas. A snippet of conversation is:

Officer: [Reads drivers license]
(pause)
Dispatch: "[Name] is eligible, Class C, clear, expires [date]."

I get the "clear" means no warrants but what does "eligible" mean? I did a search for this on Google and couldn't find anything since "eligible" is such a common word.

 

[Firekite]

If someone has a current driver’s license, what’s the point in adding redundant information that they’re eligible to have a license?

 

[rolypolyman]

Here's what I'm thinking are the definitions based on everything I've read so far. Feel free to correct me.

Drivers license:
Valid -- "Eligible"
Expired -- "Not eligible"
Suspended -- "Not eligible" (confirmed by details I heard in a radio transmission this morning)
Revoked -- "Not eligible"
None -- "No record"

I put "no license" down as "no record" as if someone has never had any dealings with TxDPS it sounds logical that there wouldn't be any record in the system that would indicate noneligibility and it would have to be reported as "no record". From what I've heard on the radio this seems to be the case and they often have to read back the name to be sure.

@Firekite, looking at the dictionary definition of "eligible" it says "satisfying the appropriate conditions". So it sounds like "eligible" means it satisfies the requirements for license to be valid, not that people can apply for one. I'm assuming that's what all this means.

 

[Citywide173]

If someone has a current driver’s license, what’s the point in adding redundant information that they’re eligible to have a license?

Because your license can be revoked or suspended without them taking the actual license from you. In Massachusetts, we use Active, Suspended, Revoked, etc for license status. They use eligible and not eligible. It's not redundant.

 

[rolypolyman]

OK I did some searching on Google for TxDPS webpages and managed to locate a manual for the TxDPS Driver License Division (DLD) database. In that document I found an exact quote direct from the source.

REC STATUS (Record Status) indicates a person’s eligibility to drive. Possible values follow:

ELIGIBLE: The subject is eligible to drive; there are no active enforcement actions. This record status does not indicate that the subject has a valid Driver License, only that they are eligible.

ELIGIBLE NON CDL – NOT ELIGIBLE CDL: The subject is eligible to drive non-commercial vehicles but currently is disqualified to have a Commercial Driver License.

NOT ELIGIBLE: The subject is not eligible to drive and has an active enforcement action.

So apparently the intent is not to give the status of the license but to alert the officer that there are active administrative enforcement actions (EAs) against the individual that have resulted in a DL suspension or revocation, and would prohibit any renewal until the compliance items are met and fines are paid.

So maybe we've finally cracked the mystery.

 

[ecps92]

and the last two "Denied" and "Expired"

Because your license can be revoked or suspended without them taking the actual license from you. In Massachusetts, we use Active, Suspended, Revoked, etc for license status. They use eligible and not eligible. It's not redundant.

 

[K2KOH]

New York you're valid, suspended, or revoked

 

[TailGator911]

Here, signal 6 means there is an active warrant, so dispatch usually says 'negative 6', never heard 'eligible', here they simply say 'valid'...so most common stops dispatch will take the tag and come back with 'Ohio valid, negative 6'

 

[Project25_MASTR]

If someone has a current driver’s license, what’s the point in adding redundant information that they’re eligible to have a license?

As @Citywide173 stated, they don't take your license from you if you get your license revoked (because it is a state issued ID). Also, in Texas you can have multiple "licenses" which all reference the same license number (Driver's License unless you first had an official state issued ID).

For example, my Hunting/Fishing license, CHL/LTC, and Driver's License all reference the same ID. So if I misplace my driver's license I have alternate proofs of ID that tie back to it (don't try that with misplacing your CHL/LTC though).

 

[DJ11DLN]

These terms seem to vary widely by area. Here "eligible" refers to someone who has had their DL suspended but is eligible for reinstatement. This often comes with a date in the future when the DL can be reinstated.

But as always, YMMV.

 

[Wes]

As I've understood it, for Texas, "eligible" simply means not suspended, regardless of whether they have a driver's license or not.