The PDPS is used to search the National Driver Register (NDR). This is a repository of information on problem drivers provided by all 51 U.S. jurisdictions.
Based on information received as a result of an NDR search, PDPS will "point" the inquiring jurisdiction to the State of Record, where an individual's driver status and history information is stored. In conjunction with the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS), PDPS is intended to assist jurisdictions in the meeting the basic tenet "...that each driver, nationwide, have only one driver license and one record," through the cooperative exchange of problem driver information between jurisdictions.