Florida’s NEW Driver License and ID Card

Starting in August 2017, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles began issuing a new, more secure Florida driver license and ID card. By December 2017, the new credential became available at all service centers throughout Florida and online.

In May 2019, the department began issuing modified credentials removing the magnetic strip on the back of the card, adding a tactile security feature to the front and changing some of the data layout.

In August 2020, the department developed additional enhancements to credentials, including redundant sexual predator and sexual offender designations as well as more ultraviolet (UV) features, to increase security and reduce the risk of fraud.

The modified credential continues to provide Floridians the most secure over-the-counter credential on the market today.

Previous driver license and ID cards will still be in use alongside the new credential until replaced or phased out.

The Look

Issue dates: August 2017 – August 2019

Issue dates: May 2019 – Present

Issue dates: August 2020 – Present

Florida’s driver license and ID card is uniquely Florida! The card front incorporates a pastel-colored linear rendering of the Florida state seal and a large orange “FL” over a stark white base. On the card back, an image of the state of Florida rests among ocean waves and the year 1845 is displayed, referring to the year Florida became the 27th state in the Union.

Photograph images will now be printed with a transparent background and appear in four locations on the credential.

Fraud Protection

FLHSMV is committed to ensuring Florida’s credential remains secure. The new credential design incorporates nearly double the fraud protection measures compared to the previous design, including redundant data, tactile security features, ultraviolet (UV) ink and optically variable features.

Designated Header Colors

Credentials are issued with designated header colors that denote the type of license the customer holds. Credentials held by customers under 21 years of age will display a red box on the card front that indicates the date until which the customer will be under 21.

Designations

The credential incorporates designations for lifetime sportsman’s, boater, freshwater, saltwater and hunting licenses, as well as designations for Veteran, organ donor, deaf/hard of hearing and developmentally disabled.

Issue dates: August 2020 – Present

Designation	Symbol	Description
Deaf/Hard of Hearing		Designation showing that the cardholder is deaf or hard of hearing
Developmentally Disabled		Designation showing that a driver license or identification card holder is developmentally disabled
FWC Lifetime Boater		Lifetime Boater Safety endorsement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
FWC Lifetime Freshwater		Lifetime FWC Freshwater Fishing License
FWC Lifetime Hunting		Lifetime FWC hunting license
FWC Lifetime Saltwater		Lifetime FWC Saltwater Fishing License
FWC Lifetime Sportsman’s		Lifetime FWC Sportsman's License
Insulin Dependent	INSULIN DEP	Designation showing that the cardholder is insulin dependent
Organ Donor		Designation showing that the cardholder wishes to be an organ donor
Veteran		Designation showing that the cardholder is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces

Please click here for information on fees associated with adding designations.

Getting Your New Card

Individuals are only required to replace their current driver license or ID card if their current credential has reached its expiration or a required change is needed, such as a name or address change.

IN PERSON:

Beginning August 2020, the modified credential will be offered at driver license service centers and tax collector offices. The new credential will be available at all service centers by the end of August 2020.

ONLINE:

The modified credential will be available for online renewals at MyDMV Portal by the end of August 2020.

Other Notable Items

Motorcycle Endorsements:

Issue dates: August 2020 – Present

Motorcycle endorsements are not spelled out on the front of Florida driver licenses. Motorcycle-also and motorcycle-only endorsements are designated by an “A” or “O” in the endorsement field located on the front of the card and are also indicated by a “A-MTRCL Also” or “O-MTRCL Only” on the back of the card.

Sexual Predator/Offender Identifiers:

Issue dates: August 2020 – Present

The Florida driver license and ID card allows for the identification of sexual predators and sexual offenders with a blue identifier on the bottom right of the front of the card. Sexual predators will have “Sexual Predator” spelled out on the card, while sexual offenders have “943.0435, F.S.” listed in this area.

AAMVA Mandatory Data Element Numbers:

Issue dates: August 2020 – Present

The Florida driver license and ID card display small numbers next to each data field (i.e. name, expiration date, sex, height). The inclusion of these numbers is required by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ driver license and ID card design standard and has been adopted by many states.

Click here for additional FAQ’s.