Illinois driver’s licenses and ID cards get new look
In a bid to help prevent identity theft, the people of Illinois are going to have a new kind of driver’s license and ID card in their wallets. The new look (pictured above) will have the photo in two locations, as well as the person’s date of birth.
In addition to the obvious aesthetic changes, the cards will also have some new high tech features to them which will aid people in identifying fraudulent cards. They have also added tiny text that requires a magnifying glass to read and is hard to reproduce. They also will have wavy, multicolored lines on the front of the cards and holograms. There will also be other features can only be read with a laser pen or under a blue light.
To add another level of security, a new bar code on the back links the card holder to the card and to the facility where it was issued, so that it can be tracked down to determine if it is a fake.
The new look cards are available now in Melrose Park and will be available statewide by January. Don’t worry about getting the new card right away. Your old card is good until it expires, at which you point you will get the new style of card.
This new style is similar to other states that already have the two photo look, such as Ohio. I recall being told in college by an Ohio classmate that they were done that way to help prevent underage kids from having authentic looking fake IDs to buy alcohol. I guess that times have changed when they are less concerned about kids getting booze and more concerned about identity theft.
Illinois, Chicago, driver’s license, identity theft
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