My company, Koch Industries, employs tens of thousands of people who depend on driving each day. So do most Americans, who drive daily to work, school and elsewhere. But for millions, the ability to drive could be taken away in the blink of an eye, upending life as they know it—and for reasons that have nothing to do with safety. Forty-four states have policies of suspending driver’s licenses over unpaid fines, fees or court debts.

There are some good reasons to suspend licenses, such as for driving infractions. But research...