Lake City Reporter: Florida’s license takes on new look

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New card has stronger identity protection features.

Florida recently released a drivers license with a new layout and a pretty beach scene with state seal holograms.

Yet more has been done to make the license than just making it prettier.

The new license has stronger identity protection features such as three layers of security that aids “law enforcement, retail, financial and transportation industries, and the public,” according to a brochure created by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The front of the cars has the signature and a digital photo of the card holder and several security elements, while the back includes information such as the driver’s specific class code, any restrictions and applicable endorsements.

In addition there is also a 2-D bar code and a magnetic stripe that can be swiped to acquire all the information on the front of the card.

Licenses and identification cards for people under 21 have a new vertical format that makes them easier to recognize by law enforcement, merchants and the like. The birth date of the cardholder is also located near the photo on the card.

But don’t worry about heading to the DMV this second; all Florida driver’s licenses and identification cards are still valid until their expiration date. The the new card will be issued upon renewal, according to the brochure.

The issue of changing driver’s licenses and identification cards on a national level has been made paramount post 9/11.

Lt. Col. Billy Dickson (retired) of the Florida Highway Patrol assists with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and serves as a liaison between the Florida Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration.

Dickson said that the idea if “standardizing is a very difficult process,” but is necessary to increase security.

“When a person moves form one state to another, in the current conditions, it is very difficult to verify who they are, what their driving record was like and where their supporting documents came from,” he said. The “Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004” that was released last month outlines the proposed details of standardization on a national level..

If approved, this act states that a date will be set for states to comply with the new system, and two years after that date, no federal agency will be able to accept old licenses. This means that old cards may not be used as an acceptable source of identification at places like airports.

Citizens concerned for the privacy of their social security may rest assured as section 7214 of the act prohibits the display of this number in any way on driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations.

“Florida has a specific provision for the protection of private information,” Dickson said.

“We are doing everything needed to protect this information.”

He says that all of these standard also help in stopping identity theft and that “people should be concerned with this.”

Dickson also serves on a task group that created the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ “AAMVS DL/ID Security Framework” and continues to serve as a law enforcement advisor to the association on its DL/ID Framework , Implementation and Maintenance Committee.

The report utilizes its members’ knowledge to create minimum requirements and recommendations to improve the “quality, reliability, uniformity and security of the driver licensing process.”

Included in this report is a requirement for employees to take a 24-hour training program on how to recognize fraudulent documents.

It also calls for an auditing system for the process of issuing cards, a verification system to be sure that card holders don’t have cards from multiple jurisdictions, and an electronic system to verify data elements presented during the application process like birth certificates.

What all these provisions come down to is improving safety, both on and off the roads as as fraudulent identification can mean unsafe drivers, surges in fraud and economic loss.

–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.

By | 2017-04-28T07:32:46+00:00 January 21st, 2005|Categories: Blog, News, Samples|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

About the Author:

Ashley Cisneros Mejia is a journalist, entrepreneur and marketer. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later as an editor at Florida Trend business magazine. Ashley has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2009, as a technical writer, marketing manager, and public relations practitioner. She also founded two digital marketing agencies in Orlando. Named one of Orlando’s 40 Under 40 and honored by the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando for achievements in media and communications, Ashley earned a B.S. in Journalism and an M.S. in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.

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