When verifying an ID, confirmation of authenticity often needs to be done quickly, which makes careful scrutiny of the driver's license or ID card important. Every day retail clerks, bank tellers, police officers, HR managers, and other professionals have to authenticate an identifying document using the naked eye alone.
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Over the last decade, U.S. states and Canadian provinces have made significant security upgrades to their drivers' licenses and identification cards. While some of these features are only visible with special equipment (UV light source, magnification) other security features can be detected by the naked eye, by touch, or by simply tilting a card or holding it up to a light source. The infographic shows some of these easily verifiable features of drivers' licenses and identification cards.
There is no universal standard for what security features are used on IDs and where they are located on the ID. The ID Checking Guide, U.S. & Canada Edition and the U.S. Identification Manual cover each IDs relevant security features (the Manual offers greater detail). The security features shown in the Infographic, plus an additional 10 security features visible only with special equipment, are included with additional text detail, in the "Security Features" section of the U.S. Identification Manual.
Checking IDs for age 21 is easier than ever with the I.D. Checking Guide.