CA - Driver’s License
Starting October 1st, 2025, newly issued California driver’s licenses and identification cards will have an updated design with advanced security features. Current driver’s licenses and identification cards will remain valid until they expire.
The DMV is adding images showing California’s natural beauty to the design along with enhanced anti-counterfeit elements, among other features. The DMV will add a digital security signature to one of the two barcodes on the back of the cards.
NOTE: This proof is valid for DOB, Address and Name. Any ID Card ISSUED prior to this date, does NOT have the requirements mentioned above.
This card is valid in both versions, with or without the star in the logo:
The “advanced” security features of the California DMV’s new design for California Driver's Licenses and Identification cards are:
- Digital Security Signature
- Embedded in one of the two barcodes on the back of the card.
- This cryptographic signature helps verify authenticity and makes duplication significantly harder.
- California is among the first states to implement this feature.
- Removal of Magnetic Stripe
- The traditional magnetic stripe, used since 1989, has been eliminated.
- This reduces vulnerability to skimming and outdated data extraction methods.
- Enhanced Anti-Counterfeit Elements:
- Continued use of
- Holograms.
- Microprinting - a security feature that involves printing extremely small text—so small that it's nearly invisible to the naked eye and can only be read clearly under magnification. Microprinting is integrated into the background design. It appears like a solid line or pattern but is made up of tiny words (e.g., “CALIFORNIA” repeated).
- Continued use of
- UV images – invisible graphics or text printed with ultraviolet-reactive light. The UV images glow when exposed to UV light, such as a black light. The UV images are embedded within the card’s background designs, often layered over scenic graphics like the California poppies or coastal patterns. They typically include state-specific symbols such as the California state seal, bear emblem, or repeating text patterns like “CALIFORNIA.”