License Renewal : Drivers Will Get New IDs That Are Similar to Credit Cards

The familiar California driver’s license is about to take on a new look.

A computerized credit card-style license said to be much harder to counterfeit or alter was unveiled Tuesday by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The first of their kind in the country, the new cards will feature a hologram, higher quality photographs and a magnetic strip that will allow law enforcement officers to conduct an instant background check on the holder. The new format, which officials said will help streamline the licensing procedure, also will be used on DMV identification cards carried by many of the state’s non-drivers.

Multicolored holograms of the DMV logo and the state seal cover the entire face of the license. All data, including the identifying color photo and signature, are embedded in the plastic card.

The magnetic strip on the back will enable police and the courts to immediately scan the DMV’s computer database to check a driver’s background for previous violations and to update records.

Another feature will make it harder for minors to illegally purchase alcoholic beverages. The licenses of those under 21 years of age will display the driver’s photo on the right, while licenses of older drivers will display the photo on the left.

Using computer technology, the department will be able to issue updated good-driver renewals by mail, eliminating the need for motorists to carry separate renewal documents as well as the original license, DMV officials said.

Drivers who lose their licenses also will be able to obtain duplicates by mail. One million licenses are reissued yearly because the originals are lost or destroyed, officials said.

The department plans to have the new driver’s license processing system in place in all of its offices by the end of March. More than 25 million Californians carry driver’s licenses or identification cards.