Personal data is also engraved, as is a “ghost image,” a small, second portrait of the driver that will float in a transparent window and will be visible from the front and the back. The new cards are so stiff that they sound like a compact disc when dropped. will still be taken in color, the engraving is done in grayscale, hence the Ansel Adams feel.) Most critically, they say, the new licenses are laser engraved on rigid polycarbonate, replacing the current process of printing photos on more flexible material, which they say can be much more easily altered or fabricated. While the old-school images might seem odd, the new production method and a barrage of features both seen and unseen will make the licenses, officials say, virtually impossible to forge. David Sampson, executive deputy commissioner of the State Department of Motor Vehicles, said. “We see the New York driver’s license as the first line of defense,” J. But the fakes can potentially be used for more serious crimes, including terrorism, the officials said.
Officials in New York describe the new licenses as an important step in thwarting a thriving and sophisticated counterfeit market, often based online, that caters to underage drinkers.
Now, however, New York is turning to a new design with a retro look: portraits in black and white.īeginning in July, the state’s drivers who are seeking new licenses will be issued hard polycarbonate cards with photos that appear black and white, replacing the bendable color version, a move toward the monochromatic that is also being tried in several other states. Even blunt red letters reading “UNDER 21.” ALBANY - Over the years, the authorities across the nation have tried all manner of tactics to combat fake drivers’ licenses.