Report: New Black And White Drivers' Licenses Aimed At Fighting Counterfeiters Will Debut In July
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- You can forget about seeing your face in color if you get a new drivers' license this summer. A new move, aimed at cracking down on counterfeit licenses, will have the State Department of Motor Vehicles printing cards in black and white starting in July.
Around the country states have tried to fight fake IDs with holograms, watermarks, and even bright red lettering. Now, a number of states are using black and white pictures on their licenses in an effort to combat counterfeiters whose products normally cater to underage drinkers, but could be used for more serious crimes including terrorism.
Officials are calling the new licenses 'virtually impossible to forge', The New York Times reported. The security upgrades will include engraved personal information, black and white photographs, and a ghost image that will appear in a transparent window on the card.
New IDs Will Make Forgery Virtually Impossible
New Yorkers on the Upper West Side told 1010 WINS reporter Glenn Schuck that they liked the idea of fighting identity theft but were split on the black and white images.
"I've been told I look good in black and white," said Tim, "Anything that would deter people from identity theft would be a good thing."
Others disagreed.
"I think it's ridiculous, I think it should be in color," said a man on 79th street.
Motor Vehicle officials told the Times that they collected 1,450 counterfeit licenses in 2012.
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