So Colorado is reformatting its Drivers License (if you have one of the old ones, it's good until it expires) to improve anti-counterfeiting measures. I've included images of the new (green!) and old (blue) ones below.
Interestingly enough, they are going to grayscale photos in order to enhance security.
The mountain in the background is Mount Sneffels, a 14er near Telluride.
Honestly, I like it, with the noteworthy exception that the DL number is way understated, as is the expiry date.
More info at https://www.colorado.gov/dmv/newlook
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Why grayscale?
+Sam Hetchler I'm not altogether clear. The news stories (based largely on the DMV press release) note: "It also has laser engraving of the resident's information and primary photograph in grayscale to add security to the ID."
Removing color from the picture may make it easier to distinguish features in different lighting conditions (e.g., at night), and remove the variation of lighting and color tones that the color photos had. Or maybe the photos are being somehow processed to have a particular mean shading that counterfeits would not know to have. Or maybe it's to help police dogs recognize perpetrators. I'll be curious to learn more in the future.
And, the more I look at it, the more unconscionable the deemphasis of the DL Number and Expiry are. Those are the two pieces of info that people look for, and they are now in teeny-tiny print. Bad move.
I've written to the address on the DMV page about it. Let's see what they say.
Yeah, the small license number is a bit odd, as is the expiration date.
I wonder why they chose sneffles rather than elbert.
+John Bump I'll assume it's because Sneffels is a much more dramatic looking and photogenic peak than Elbert. Though if pretty and recognizable were key, I would think that the Maroon Bells would be on the new license.
I suspect that 95% of the state's citizens will say, "Hey, a mountain! Cool!" And 84.7% would say, if asked, "Well, I think they should have That Mountain I See Every Day."
I just like the name "Sneffles." I'm good with it.
My company MorphoTrak used to compete for this business until our parent company acquired the firm that became MorphoTrust (who provides the majority of driver licenses in the US). My guess is that Colorado is shifting to a different type of card that only allows grayscale (not color) pictures. I'll dig around and see what I can find.
So here's what I found:
Colorado is one of the few states that does NOT use MorphoTrust. Your license is provided by Marquis ID Systems, part of Gemalto.
Last year, Marquis ID Systems announced that it has the capability to perform color photo printing on polycarbonate driver licenses. http://marquis-id.com/2015/08/21/marquis-id-systems-offers-secure-high-definition-color-in-polycarbonate-technology-to-safeguard-u-s-driver-licenses/
+John E. Bredehoft Interesting. I wonder if the capability is more expensive and that's why CO is going for the B&W version.
Hmm. Never thought about companies actually manufacturing DLs. Just sort of thought of … hmmm … I dunno … a state drivers license factory somewhere up in the mountains …
Does this mean I have to get as new picture? Cause my picture is from the 90's. They don't seem to care my ID looks like I have a fake ID pretending I'm 21.
Laser Engraving of outdated info!! Someone did not think this through. But yeah…I like the mountain.