Calif. Drivers to Get Plastic Licenses in ’90

New drivers’ licenses that resemble plastic credit cards will be issued to California motorists beginning next year as the state begins phasing out traditional paper licenses, it was announced Wednesday.

Among other things, the new licenses will have magnetic information strips, making it easier for police officers to issue traffic tickets. Once patrol cars are outfitted with the necessary equipment, officers will be able to run the license through a scanner and have a computer printer produce a citation on the spot.

While the format of the new licenses will be similar to the current ones, the plastic cards will have a digitalized color photograph and signature embedded in the plastic, making the cards “unalterable,” said Bill Gangler, spokesman for the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“One of the major things, of course, is that it makes the information on the driver’s license more secure,” Gangler said. “It will cut down substantially on driver’s license abuse by individuals under 21.”

Gangler also said the DMV will be able to replace lost licenses more promptly. Motorists will no longer have to make a trip to the DMV office to obtain a replacement, because department computers will store the photograph and signature data. It will be possible to arrange for a replacement over the phone and have it mailed.

The department said the new licenses should only cost “a few pennies” more to produce than the old ones.