Embedded Information on a California Driver's License
- California began to issue driver's licenses when the DMV was established in 1915. There have been many versions of the California driver's license, but it wasn't until the last decade of the 20th century when the DMV began to embed information in the card itself. In 1991, California introduced one of the first high-tech driver's licenses, which included colored holograms, digital photos and a magnetic strip. All of these features were the first of their kind in the U.S. Over subsequent years, new features have been introduced to add embedded information and make the information more difficult to copy by criminals.
- The biggest benefit of embedding information is that it prevents forgers from making phony driver's licenses. It also prevents criminals from obtaining lost or stolen cards and altering the information on the license. The purpose of holograms is to prevent forgers from duplicating the identification cards with a copy machine or a scanner.
- The current version of the California driver's license, as of 2010, has a number of features that embed information into the card.
The current license incorporates a second smaller photo on the right side of the card that is a lighter shade and is placed underneath another layer of text that states the color of eyes of the person in the photo.
There is a hologram on the California license that includes several state seals spread across the length of the card with the letters "DMV" interspersed between each seal. The state seal itself depicts Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, alongside a miner working near the Sacramento River.
The California driver's license includes all the typical personal information of the driver in the center of the card. This includes the driver's full name, address, sex, color of hair, height, weight, color of eyes and date of birth. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, information regarding this restriction will be included underneath your personal information.
When you have to go into the DMV to renew or get a new driver's license in California, you are required to electronically sign your name at the DMV office. This signature is then embedded on your license underneath your personal data. - There are several types of embedded information on the California driver's license. There is the hologram, printed data on the card, layered information and special paper which is embedded with a copy-proof design.
- When you apply for a California driver's license, you can register to become an organ and tissue donor. Your driver's license will be marked with a pink circle with the word "donor" inscribed on top of the sticker. Whereas previous versions of the California license used an actual sticker that would be placed on the surface of the card, the current license prints the pink circle underneath the lamination of the license. Although the designation itself is not enough to grant legal permission to donate your organs, it signifies to medical professionals that you are willing to do so.