Technology standards support and optimize the exchange of data between organizations. Standards include data element standards, message exchange protocols, and others that can be used in private and public environments. For example, standards can be used over virtual private networks (VPNs), the internet, and batch exchange environments. 

Data Standards

Data standards are data element definitions and coding instructions to promote uniformity of data elements communicated between organizations. This allows you to identify and exchange data between you and your partners and jurisdictions to assure the issuance of accurate licenses, registrations, and titles.

The following data standards are used in AAMVA systems:

• The AAMVA Code Dictionary (ACD) is a set of codes used nationwide to identify the type of driver conviction or the reason for a driver withdrawal. ACD codes are maintained by AAMVA and used in messages sent over AAMVAnet.
• The Data Element Dictionary for Traffic Records Systems (D20) provides standard terminology and coding instructions to promote uniformity of data elements communicated between organizations in the motor vehicle arena. The D20 is maintained by AAMVA.
• The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) is a federally-supported initiative that provides a framework and best practices for exchanging information between government agencies. NIEM uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) as its foundation. See the National Information Exchange Model website for more information.
      

  
Message Protocols

Message protocols are encoding of data so that it can be transferred between organizations that use any platform, with any application. AAMVA uses and provides protocols that can be used in any exchange environment, including the internet, AAMVAnet, GXS Information Exchange, and batch file transfer.

The following message protocols are used by AAMVA:

• The AAMVAnet Message Interchange Envelope (AMIE) is a protocol developed by AAMVA to enable organizations to exchange information on AAMVAnet. It is also used for batch exchange and in GXS Information Exchange. To convert messages to and from AMIE format, you can use AAMVA's UNI software. 
• The Messages over AAMVA in XML (MAX) is used by AAMVA in early XML applications. 
• NIEM-XML combines the NIEM data standard with AAMVA’s XML web-service protocol. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a set of rules for encoding documents electronically based on descriptive tags. XML is defined and maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). 
• Representational state transfer (REST) is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating Web services. REST has a wide variety of options , AAMVA uses a subset of the options which are described in the REST Manual (see below). 

  
  

AAMVA continues to support the legacy AMIE and XML as options, but now recommends the REST option for exchanging data.