‘Uniquely DC’: New driver’s license designs feature city landmark, aim to protect against ID theft

Drivers getting or renewing their license in the District will soon see a “uniquely D.C.” design that the Department of Motor Vehicles said will help protect from identity theft.

The new design will be available starting July 17, and will have “vibrant colors, cherry blossoms, the Wood Thrush bird and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge,” the D.C. DMV said in a news release.

The security of the cards has also been toughened, with a new “Multiple Laser Image” that the DMV said will be “difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.”

“We wanted to ensure that our D.C. credentials are one of the most secure in the nation,” DMV Director Gabriel Robinson said in a statement.

There is no need to get a new card if your current one is still valid. But for those who need a driver’s license, they can visit the DMV website for more information about the new designs or how to be REAL ID compliant.

The District issues more than 623,000 driver’s licenses and ID cards a year.

See the new designs below.

Over 21

Sample card. Driver’s license. REAL ID, over 21. (Courtesy D.C. DMV)
Sample card. Driver’s license. Not REAL ID, over 21. (Courtesy D.C. DMV)

Under 21

Sample card. Driver’s license. REAL ID, under 21. (Courtesy D.C. DMV)
Sample card. Driver’s license. Not REAL ID, under 21.

Abigail Constantino

Abigail Constantino started her journalism career writing for a local newspaper in Fairfax County, Virginia. She is a graduate of American University and The George Washington University.

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