Washington state driver's licenses are getting a new look: one that should help protect you from identity theft.
"This new card system has incredible security features in it that will really decrease the amount of counterfeit cards that exist in the world," said Pat Kohler, director of the state's Department of Licensing, in a release.
Features include fine line printing and ultraviolet ink.
New colors will also differentiate between ID cards, enhanced driver licenses (which can be used as federal identification), commercial driver licenses and temporary licenses. Blue represents the standard driver license, salmon is for enhanced driver license, violet is for ID cards, and green is for an enhanced ID card.
Temporary licenses will also get a facelift. They will be printed on a full sheet of paper without a photo, instead of the printed paper copy of an actual license.
The change should help prevent identity theft, according to the DOL.
“The current temporary driver’s license is so similar to your original driver’s license that you get in the mail, it creates a false sense of security (because it is simply a temporary document),” Kohler said.
The Department plans to have the new licenses in all of it 56 offices by the end of the summer, but you'll automatically get the new versions if you order online.
You can continue to use your current license, until it expires.
