Texas has unrolled a new drivers license design which is a little more beige than its predecessor. According to a release, the Texas Department of Public Safety launched new designs for the Texas driver license as well as identification cards on August 18 with both a new look and enhanced security.
It replaces the current design which has been in place since 2020.
“The way driver licenses are made can make a big difference in terms of public safety,” says DPS Driver License Division chief Sheri Gipson in a statement. “This new card design will make it even more difficult for criminals to produce counterfeit cards, and it enhances ways we can protect Texans’ identities from being stolen.”
Like the previous model, the new cards are made of tamper-resistant polycarbonate material which complies with standards maintained by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and is difficult to reproduce.
Most notably, the art has changed. The previous design was more colorful, featuring a red-white-and-blue flag in the upper left corner, as well as a red-white-and-blue silhouette of the state of Texas. That's been replaced with a Texas gold star state seal, and they've added an image of galloping horses along the bottom.
They also changed the design of the Real ID star. Real ID is a federal program requiring that state-issued IDs or driver's licenses meet security standards, outlined in a 2005 law passed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On the previous license design, the Real ID star was gold. The new design features a black star in the upper right corner which will also be laser-engraved.
The personal information included on the card has been rearranged into what DPS says is an easy-to-read format for identification and verification purposes. Changes include placing the date of birth on the same line as the drivers license number, making the issuance and expiration dates larger, and moving the organ donor symbol.
