Drivers

Driver  authorization is required for any person (employee, student, volunteer) who will be driving a vehicle (University owned or personal vehicle) on University business.

Minimum Requirements to Drive

  • Employees, authorized University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students and other authorized agents of the state may be allowed to drive on University business if the following minimum standards are met:
    • Must have a valid operator’s license
    • Must have minimum of two years licensed driving experience. (Driving while using a temporary license or learner permit does not count toward fulfillment of the two years of licensed driving requirement), and
    • Must be eighteen (18) years of age.
    • Cannot have 3 or more moving violations or “at fault” accidents
    • Cannot have an OWI or DUI violation within the past year.
    • Drivers license must have been reinstated for one year or more after revocation.

Driver Authorization Procedure

  1. Review the Vehicle Use and Driver Authorization Policy
  2. Complete Vehicle Use Agreement at the VUA Sign-up Portal
    • Select UW and then UW Milwaukee from the drop down menu
    • Enter ePantherID and password to login
    • Select Vehicle Use Agreement from the menu
    • Out of state drivers must upload a copy of their current driving record
    • Fill in your date of birth, license state and driver’s license number
    • Campus – select UW Milwaukee
    • UDDS Code – enter UB followed by 6 digit Org Code
    • Supervisor’s name and email address
    • Complete employee agreement, e-sign, date and submit form.  Please note, by signing the form you are agreeing to inform your supervisor and the UW Milwaukee Risk Manager of any negative changes in your driving record.  Negative changes in your driving record may result in revocation of the privilege of driving on University business.
  3. Your supervisor will receive notification that your VUA has been submitted
  4. Your record will be reviewed against the minimum requirements to drive.  Applicants will be notified of approval/denial within 10 business days.

Approved drivers are added added to the Authorized Driver Database as follows:

  • Faculty and Staff with Wisconsin license for 5 years; will renew indefinitely unless driver fails to meet minimum driving requirements or terminates employment
  • Faculty and Staff with out-of-state license for 1 year; must submit copy of driving record annually to maintain driver authorization
  • LTEs, Students and volunteers expire annually on July 1; must reapply for driver authorization

Note – all Wisconsin driver records are checked monthly.  Authorization ends when you fail to meet the minimum requirements to drive.

Due to the State’s increasing scrutiny of driver qualifications, driver licenses from other countries, Canada excepted, will no longer be accepted. Individuals will need to contact the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a Wisconsin driver’s license. We can only accept licenses from the US, it’s territories, and Canada.

Holders of licenses issued by a state other than Wisconsin and individuals holding a Wisconsin Driver’s License less than three years due to previously being licensed in another state must request a copy of their driving record from the previous state of residence and submit it to Risk Management.

Approved Driver Database

You can check the Approved Driver Database (real-time data) for your driver status.  Login using your UWM credentials, then select Reports and Driver Summary from the top menu.  To search by UDDS, enter your Division’s UDDS (i.e., UB020000 for Finance and Administrative Affairs).

Rental Vehicles

When using rental vehicles it is important that university drivers be familiar with the rules involved in renting a vehicle. Refer to UW System Vehicle Rental Contract Vendors and Applicable Rates webpage for information on the use of rental vehicles. When renting a vehicle, the insurance is included in the rate – as long as you rent under the UW’s contract providers. It is important to remember when renting a vehicle that other rates may seem cheaper, but they do not automatically include insurance, so that must be factored into your evaluation. If a contract vendor is not available you must purchase physical damage insurance at the time of the rental.

Liability protection is automatic for local and domestic rentals, as long as the driver is listed on our Approved Driver Database and the vehicle is being used exclusively on University business.

Common mistakes rental drivers make include:

  • Allowing someone not listed on the contract to drive.
  • Failure to purchase insurance when using a non-contract vendor. (NOTE: A non-contract vendor can be used when a contract vendor is not available.)
  • Failure to check if insurance coverage is available when using the P-Card.
  • Failure to notify the P-Card provider within 20 days of an accident.

Additional Information and Resources: