Tennessee has issued a new driver’s license for vehicle operators under the age of 21 that will be oriented vertically instead of the horizontal orientation that drivers of legal drinking age currently carry, in an effort to combat underage drinking. The new cards will replace the old cards by July 2018, and licenses of current license-holders of legal age won’t change. You can see the designs below – the left showcasing the current horizontal layout, and the right showcasing the new design (the image here is technically an ID card but the license will be very similar).
Tennessee is the 48th state to adopt this policy, hoping the vertical orientation will cause minors’ licenses to be easier to spot at liquor stores and dimly lit bars and restaurants, as opposed to needing to closely examine the birth date or see the red bar on current underage licenses (see above), which can be difficult under rushed or low-light conditions.