California launches forgery-proof driver's license
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has begun issuing a redesigned security-enhanced drivers license which is loaded with features to thwart would-be forgers and identity thieves; this is the first major revision to the card since 2001
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has begun issuing a redesigned security-enhanced drivers license which is loaded with features to thwart would-be forgers and identity thieves. This is the first major revision to the card since 2001.
“The new security features, coupled with advanced technology, make California driver licenses and identification cards one of the most secure identification documents in the country,” said DMV Director George Valverde, as he unveiled the new cards in Sacramento on Wednesday.
The drivers license has been designated the primary form of identification for California residents.
SignonSanDiego.com reports that the basic information on the drivers license is the same, but redesigned to make it more readable and less likely to be altered. Among the security features are:
- Cardholder’s date of birth and signatures are touch sensitive.
- Images visible only under ultraviolet light.
- Bar code on the back that replicates information found only on the front of the card.
- A laser perforation outline of the California Brown Bear, visible only when a light source is pressed against the back of the card.
The DMV began rolling out the special cameras and equipment needed to produce the new licenses on 31 July, taking advantage of furlough Fridays to install the technology in many offices.
A DMV spokesman at the time said the new licenses exceed minimum security requirements being proposed by DHS.
The new licenses will be issued to new applicants and drivers renewing their licenses. Drivers are not required to get a new license until their current one comes up for renewal.
