Last I checked, for example, each state still has complete autonomy over their drivers licensing process and rules.
Absolutely. But none of the states currently say 'you can only drive a Prius, and we're only going to give drivers' licences to rich and/or politically well connected citizens.' If NY, NJ, MA & CA were as restrictive of their DLs as they were their firearms licenses and were forced into reciprocity, you'd see much clamoring for a federal standard, so these states wouldn't have to admit undesirables from other states.
Let's take an extreme example of reciprocity- I walk over to NY state with 'a ratchet in my waist' and Barney Fife says 'OK, Lemmy, let's see your permit to carry that thing in your pants.'
I say 'Afternoon, slick, I'm from over there in VT. My face is my permit, and since there's reciprocity now on the books, thanks to Sen. Thune, I guess I'll just be on my way now.'
The first thing that's going to happen is I'm going to jail. The next thing that's going to happen is that some genius is going to say 'Hey, we have neighboring states with permitting regimes so wildly divergent that reciprocity between them is entirely untenable to the more restrictive state. We need a unified set of criteria based on minimum reasonable standards so that we don't have these
interstate conflicts. Sort of like how
driver's licensing schemes are all basically about the same, especially since Real ID. Maybe there should be some federal guidelines on this, since
interstate stuff is congress' bailiwick. Of course VT will have to give up some their freedom, but it was no big deal when we made them start putting photos on their driver's licences, so this shouldn't be a big deal, either.'
No thanks, Jack. You can keep whatever you're smoking to yourself.