Pennsylvania rolls out new driver’s licenses
Pennsylvania’s driver’s licenses are getting a makeover.
On Sept. 12, the state Department of Transportation announced the launch of a new driver’s license design with updated security features, including ghost portraits and a gold metallic tint.
“It’s a standard procedure that we do every handful of years to make sure we’re preventing fraud,” said Diego Sandino, press officer, driver and vehicles services at PennDOT. “Safety is one of our main focuses. It’s an important component of what we do. With these new enhancements, the point is to protect the integrity of the driver or ID holder … so no one is able to take their information.”
In 2011, Pennsylvania became the first state to implement a black-and-white hologram security feature on photo IDs. The state is again leading the nation in ID security with added layers of protection that make it difficult to counterfeit, alter or otherwise copy a driver’s license or photo ID.
Updated security features will appear on state IDs, driver’s licenses, and REAL IDs, Sandino said, and while the protective features are state-of-the-art, the new design isn’t a major shift from cards drivers are used to.
The biggest change is a color scheme combination – the new cards sport slightly warmer hues – and the ghost portrait feature.
“Lookwise, it’s different, but it’s not super different. We talk about having the ghost portrait. That’s probably one of the biggest things, visually, that customers will see,” Sandino said.
The smaller portrait, in the bottom left-hand corner of the card, changes from visible to invisible, depending on the angle of the driver’s license or ID. When held under UV light, ghost portraits are visible no matter the angle.
A gold metallic tint glistens under direct light, another of PennDOT’s new security measures called a dynamic look through element.
One security feature not visible is the Guilloche design, patterns embedded in the driver’s license or photo ID. Guilloche designs are also used to protect other high-security documents, including passports and banknotes.
The latest security measures are part of PennDOT’s continued commitment to decreasing fraud, counterfeiting and ID alteration. But there’s no need to rush to the DMV for a new license; the cards are being phased in over a four-year photo ID cycle, beginning in mid-November.
The newer, more secure cards will be issued during normal renewal times, or when someone receives their first driver’s license, state or REAL ID.
PennDOT estimates it will replace nearly 10.3 million driver’s licenses and ID cards during the four-year phase-in.
While people have driver’s licenses on the mind, Sandino said it’s the perfect time to apply for a REAL ID, if you haven’t yet.
“The deadline is May 3, 2023,” he said. “We still urge folks to take the time right now” and apply for REAL IDs.
Starting in May 2023, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID or other federally-accepted form of identification, like a passport or birth certificate, to enter most federal buildings, or to pass through airport security.