With fraud protection

Florida credentials are updated to fight fraud

in mind, Florida unveils new drivers licenses and identification cards that will be “the most secure overthe-counter credential on the market today,” according to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Redesigned drivers licenses and identification cards will soon make their way into Floridians’ wallets, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said.

Efforts to revamp the credentials began in 2014 and included discussions with stakeholders like law enforcement agencies, supervisors of elections and tax collectors, said Alexis Bakofsky, deputy communications director for the department.

“[It’s] not quite as out-of-theblue as some people think,” she said.

She noted the decision was prompted by a desire to make the credentials “more secure,” as new technologies and different security measures emerged in the years since the cards had last been altered in 2003.

With almost two times as many fraud protection measures as before, the new cards will be “the most secure over-the-counter credential on the market today,” the department said. Specific security precautions include “redundant data” and details that glow under ultraviolet light.

Featuring three images of the cardholder and the person’s information, the front of the credential will be white with “a pastel-colored linear rendering of the Florida state seal and a large orange ‘FL’,” according to the agency.

The back of the card depicts the state map and name, as well as the date “1845,” in blue with similarly-colored waves. The number is an homage to local history — Florida joined the union as the 27th state in 1845. A fourth picture of the cardholder and certain designations will also appear on the card’s back, the department said.

Other changes to the card include different motorcycle endorsements and recognition of the owner’s sexual predator or sexual offender status. In line with American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators stipulations, the new credentials will also have “data element numbers” next to cardholder information on the front, the department said.

Residents will receive the new cards at select service centers beginning Aug. 21, according to the department’s website. Certain offices in Volusia, Okaloosa, Leon, Duval, Brevard, Manatee, Lee and Broward counties will be the first to carry the credentials.

Bakofsky said the cost of the new IDs will vary, depending on whether citizens choose to add certain designations to their IDs, like hunting or boating licenses or deaf/hard of hearing or developmentally disabled icons. However, the price of a basic license renewal will remain the same, she said.

The cards will be issued at all offices statewide and online before the end of December.

For those not ready to shred their familiarly designed credentials, no need to despair — there isn’t a rush to replace your current Florida license or identification card. As long as they’re unexpired and accurate, credentials will remain valid for now as the new design is rolled out.