Just three months after the federal deadline for international travelers from the U.S. to have Real IDs, Texans have a new ID design to get used to. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) launched its new driver license and identification card designs August 18. However, Texans need not rush to the DMV; their current cards are fine until they expire.
Texas DPS says the new cards have both a new look and enhanced security.
“The way driver licenses are made can make a big difference in terms of public safety,” said DPS Driver License Division chief Sheri Gipson in the official rollout announcement. “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.”
The announcement explains that the new cards are made of tamper-resistant polycarbonate material. It complies with standards maintained by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and is difficult to reproduce.
Additionally, the gold star in the upper right corner that denotes Real ID compliance will now be black. It’ll also laser-engraved.
The personal information included on the card will also be rearranged, which Texas DPS says features an “easy-to-read format for identification and verification purposes.” Those changes include bringing up the date of birth to share the first line with the drivers license number, making the issuance and expiration dates larger, moving the organ donor symbol, and more.
The art behind the text on the card is also different, most notably focusing on the Texas State Seal, adding horses, and removing the immediately recognizable Texas flags for a more flowing depiction.
Texans who missed the news about the rollout of the Real ID, a card made with federally mandated standards, probably don’t have to worry about getting one. Texas was already 98 percent compliant a month before the May deadline because newly issued cards have implemented the standards since 2016.