California drivers began receiving newly designed licenses on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced.
The new driver’s licenses he an updated design and advanced security features, the department said in a statement.
An image of California’s redwood trees, poppies and coastline are accompanied by a digital security signature embedded in one of the two barcodes on the back — making California one of the first states to use this feature. New licenses no longer he the magnetic strip, which contains all of the information that is on front of the now-older licenses.
The updates are on the state-issued identification cards as well.
The DMV last added new security features in 2010 and redesigned licensees and IDs in 2018 with the implementation of Real ID.
“While I know some of our customers will want the new version of the driver’s license,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement, “there is no need to replace an existing license or identification card until your current one expires.”
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