The U.S. Supreme Court case Kesler v. Department of Public Safety of Utah in 1961 revolved around the issue of whether a state law that allowed for the suspension or revocation of a driver's license and automobile registration due to an unsatisfied judgment from a motor vehicle accident was constitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment, specifically regarding equal protection and due process rights. The petitioner, Kesler, had his driving privileges revoked by Utah's Department of Public Safety after he failed to satisfy judgments against him resulting from two car accidents. He challenged this action as unconstitutional but both lower courts upheld it. In its decision, the Supreme Court held that such laws did not violate either equal protection or due process rights guaranteed by the Constitution because they were designed to protect other drivers on public roads who could be harmed by financially irresponsible motorists unable to pay damages caused in accidents. The court also noted that these laws provided sufficient notice and opportunity for hearing before any punitive actions were taken.

In the dissenting opinion for Kesler v. Department of Public Safety of Utah, Justice Black argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with previous rulings on federal preemption and violated principles of state sovereignty. He contended that states should retain their authority to regulate matters within their jurisdiction unless Congress explicitly prohibits them from doing so. In this case, he believed that Utah's law suspending a driver's license after an uninsured accident did not conflict with or frustrate the purpose of the Federal Bankruptcy Act because it served a legitimate public safety interest by encouraging drivers to obtain insurance coverage. Therefore, he disagreed with the majority’s view that federal bankruptcy laws preempted state regulations in this area.