Florida residents will be enjoying a brand new state ID and driver’s license starting today, August 17, 2017. The new ID cards hold myriad new features, providing stronger fraud protection and clearer identification of cardholder license designations (such as a lifetime saltwater fishing license, being insulin dependent or an organ donor).
The new license is REAL ID compliant and features various anti-fraud measures such as ultraviolet ink, a gold look-through element, optically variable images, 2D barcode and more (see below).
The license also features variable color headers to designate different types of vehicle operators and cardholders, ranging from non-license ID cardholders to learners, minors, drivers and commercial drivers.
The new Florida driver’s license and state ID cards also feature identification of sexual predators, marking clearly on the front of the card for officials to see.
Florida licenses and ID cards with the new design will be rolled out gradually across the state until December 2017, when all service centers throughout Florida will carry the new card.
Current license holders are not required to replace their cards, and can continue to use the old design until they’re due for renewal, when the new card will be issued to them.