NCJ Number
164130
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 23 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1996) Pages: 34,36
Date Published
1996
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Florida and other states are attempting to reduce the use of fraudulent driver's licenses by using digitized driver's licenses that used advanced photo imaging, an information-encoded magnetic stripe resembling a credit card, and a place for digitized fingerprint information.
Abstract
Counterfeiters use many techniques to produce driver's licenses. Computer technological advances have made it relatively easy to produce counterfeit, altered, or forged driver's licenses. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles addressed this problem by contracting with Unisys Corporation to provide the State's motorists with the new digitized licenses. It will take up to 6 years to furnish everyone in Florida with the new digital licenses. Arizona is also using digitized driver's licenses and allows almost everyone to reach that age without having to renew their licenses. Texas has started replacing its film-based licenses with an electronic system from Polaroid Electronic Imaging Systems. The rapidity with which a citation can be issued is one of the advantages of these licenses. Another is the potential for developing a database to prevent drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked from going to another State to obtain a new license. A third is the speed of obtaining a photo of a suspect who has a driver's license on file. Photographs