New drivers’ licenses attempt to end fakery

These samples show the elements New York's new licenses would include. The vertical one would be for drivers under 21. (Cindy Schultz/Times Union)

In an effort to make it harder to fake a New York drivers’ license, the state Department of Motor Vehicles is planning to switch to a new way of making them.

The new ones will be polycarbonate, with the birth date and photographs embedded into the material. You could no longer remove the laminate, tinker with the card, and replace it. The card includes two photographs, which are not color but grayscale. The black and white-like image appears a second time, visible from each side of the card, making the card very difficult to copy.

The cards are similar to what is used now in the state of Virginia. A simple Google search shows you: It’s easy to find a website that will sell you a fake New York ID. But you won’t find one offering a fake Virginia license.

Of course, the current New York licenses were state of the art and impossible to duplicate when first created in 2005. But that’s no longer true.

“We encounter a lot of people trying to counterfeit licenses,” said Owen McShane, director of investigations for DMV. “We always see high-quality counterfeits.”

The state of Virginia, on the other hand, does not see any fakes yet.

“The technology and ability to counterfeit has not been visible to us,” said Robert Irving, assistant commissioner for customer service for the Virginia DMV.

Categories: Drivers' licenses
Tim O'Brien

4 Responses

  1. Snapdragon says:

    Have not been faked is not the same as WILL NOT be faked. Give the tekkies time and they will do it.

  2. joe says:

    Or is this really about keeping track of people by violating their privacy? I suspect these new licenses will contain codes or chips that contain personal information traceable by law enforcement throughout the country.

  3. Retired says:

    Maybe the fakes are out there, they just can’t recognize them because the tekkies are so good. Just sayin’

  4. Old Guy says:

    Seems to me to be a little excessive to spend this much time, energy and money just to make sure some 19-year-old doesn’t get a beer.