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Volunteer Management - Driver Authorization

Extension volunteers must complete the UW-Madison Driver Authorization process and maintain approval status in order to drive personally owned or rented vehicles on University business when acting in their volunteer roles. Forms must be completed a minimum of 10 business days prior to the proposed trip. For all volunteers, except 4-H, submit application materials to Extension’s Volunteer Management Systems Specialist at volunteers@extension.wisc.edu.

Steps to Complete Request: 4-H Volunteers

If the request is for Wisconsin 4-H, complete the 4-H Volunteer Driver Authorization Request Form.

  • The volunteer applying for authorization should complete the sections titled “Status” and “Initial All Statements After Reading.”
    • Under “Applicant Information,” the volunteer should enter the following information:
      • Driver name as it appears on license
      • Date of birth
      • Driver license number
      • Driver license issue state/country
      • Driver email address
      • Number of years of driving experience
      • Signature of applicant
      • Date signed
  • To prevent any delays, the volunteer must send their form directly to their county's 4-H educator (volunteer manager) to continue processing.
    • The Educator serving as the sponsor for the request must complete the following under "Applicant Information":
      • Reason for driving: include a specific reason (e.g., transporting youth to statewide 4-H conference)
      • Approval length: date range in which driving will take place, in months
      • Signature of Educator/Admin
      • Print name
      • Date signed
    • To ensure the Educator is listed as the supervisor in the fleet system, please list the Educator in the Staff Contact section. 
    • In addition, the volunteer manager must email the form to obtain a signature from a Regional Program Manager or Institute Director.

Steps to Complete Request

  1. Complete the UW-Madison Volunteer Driver Authorization Request Form.
    • The volunteer applying for authorization should complete the sections titled “Status” and “Initial All Statements After Reading.”
    • Under “Applicant Information,” the volunteer should enter the following information:
      • Driver name as it appears on license
      • Date of birth
      • Driver license number
      • Driver license issue state/country
      • Driver email address
      • Number of years of driving experience
      • Signature of applicant
      • Date signed
    • The volunteer manager serving as the sponsor for the request (e.g., educator, administrator) must complete the following under "Applicant Information":
      • Reason for driving: include a specific reason (e.g., transporting youth to statewide conference)
      • Approval length: date range in which driving will take place
      • Signature of professor/coordinator
      • Print name
      • Date signed
      • In addition, the volunteer manager must obtain a signature from a supervisor or assistant program manager, program manager, or AED.
  2. Submit the form and required documents to the Volunteer Management Systems Specialist at volunteers@extension.wisc.edu . Required documents include:
    • Volunteer Agreement Letter – ALL VOLUNTEERS
    • Legible copy of driver’s license – IF ISSUED OUTSIDE OF WISCONSIN
    • Motor Vehicle Record – VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE NOT HAD A WISCONSIN LICENSE FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS
Prior to submitting the document to Risk Management for processing, the Volunteer Management Systems Specialist will fill in the UDDS number and contact person for driver complaints. 

Additional Information

  • There are limited situations in which Extension volunteers may be authorized to drive as part of their volunteer roles. For example, a volunteer may obtain permission from an Extension employee to transport program participants for an educational experience (e.g., out of county travel to a museum) when hiring a bus or requiring participants to arrange for their own transportation is not feasible.
    • Volunteers and program participants are responsible for securing their own transportation to and from the primary volunteer site (e.g., club meeting).
  • The UW-Madison Driver Authorization process does not include approval to drive 12 or 15 seat passenger vans. More information can be found on UW-Madison’s Driver Authorization page.

Get Help

For assistance, contact the Volunteer Management Systems Specialist at volunteers@extension.wisc.edu 



KeywordsDriver Authorization Volunteer Management Onboarding VUA Agreement Letter Business Services Vehicle Parade   Doc ID102191
OwnerMichele C.GroupExtension Handbook
Created2020-05-18 13:26:44Updated2024-06-17 12:22:34
SitesExtension Handbook
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