The DMV will begin including the digital signature in the bar code on the back of driver’s licenses or ID cards, enabling bar-code readers to validate whether the signature is valid. The move is seen as an added security step.
“Identity theft is growing rapidly and when people have their identity stolen, they lose precious time and money. People want to know that their California-issued identity card is secure,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement. “The new high-tech digital signature and card reader software we offer is the latest example of how California and the DMV are helping to prevent fraud.”
It’s not just in physical credentials that the DMV is rolling out new technology. Visitors to DMV field offices can now “self-check in” by scanning a QR code.
Known as a “Virtual Intake Process,” the QR codes are expected to reduce wait times and congestion in the field offices. Scanning the code at the office entrance places visitors in the virtual line, and they are notified when their turn arrives. The QR code check-in is similar to the online check-in procedure introduced in 2021. Customers not able to self-check in this way can do so at the information desk upon arrival.
QR codes have become increasingly common as a central feature of digital government experience. Parking Services in Cincinnati, Ohio, recently introduced new technology in its surface lots and garages, where drivers scan a QR code to pay for their parking session.
Other states are introducing new technology into their driver’s licenses. Oklahoma will begin producing licenses made from 100 percent polycarbonate, embedded with security features. The license will also feature RevealPlus technology from Thales that places animated effects and rolling text on the secondary portrait.
Alaska, and numerous other states now offer mobile driver’s licenses, digital credentials that can take the place of the physical card.
