Virginia's New Secure Driver's Licenses
Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
 
        The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is taking greater strides to protect Virginians from fraud by enhancing its driver's license security.  The DMV is changing the method of issuing driver's licenses and identification cards from an over-the-counter process to issuance from a central location.  What this means for you is that the next time you renew your driver's license or ID card, you will receive it in the mail.
 
        The new process will reduce the risks for fraud and use of false addresses.  It serves as a deterrent to those attempting to obtain Virginia licenses illegally, because they won't be issued on the spot.
 
        Although you will no longer receive your driver's license and ID cards at DMV offices, you can continue to apply for them there.  You will notice the new process when you visit the DMV.  Customer photos will be taken at the beginning of your transaction at the customer counter.  If renewing a Virginia driver's license, you will retain your old license and receive a temporary driving permit so you can continue to drive.  ID card customers will be issued a receipt; cards will be mailed within three business days.
 
        I encourage you to take a moment right now to check your current license and make sure your address is up to date with DMV.  If you have moved since your current license was issued, you can update your mailing address by visiting DMV's website at www.dmvNOW.com.
 
        If you have ever renewed your driver's license or ID card using DMV's online services, you are already familiar with the central issuance process.  Online customers conduct a transaction, print a receipt, and receive the card through the mail.  During fiscal year 2008, more than 223,000 Virginians saved time by renewing licenses using the Internet, mail, or telephone and received their licenses in the mail.
 
        The new cards will be produced at a facility in Danville comparable to a credit card production center with a high level of security and restricted access.  Sophisticated equipment in a centralized environment can produce more secure cards than printers in dozens of DMV offices across the state.
 
        The new secure cards have a new look and feel and are made with a tamper-resistant material called polycarbonate, which allows the words and pictures to be laser engraved into the cards.  The most unique of the security features is a clear window containing a black and white photograph of the cardholder, visible from the front and back of the card.  Virginia's will be the third such driver's license worldwide and the first in the U.S. to carry this feature.
 
        Adult license will remain horizontal and include a security print outline of the state capitol building.  Cards for those under 21 will be vertical and carry images of Virginia's state flower, the dogwood.
 
        Virginians can rest assured that DMV's new issuance process, production center, and security features will position the Commonwealth as a national leader in credential security and will make Virginia's driver's licenses and ID cards the most secure and trusted state-issued credentials in the nation.