PA To Launch New Driver's Licenses, Citing Security Concerns

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania will soon launch new driver's licenses featuring a fresh design and added security enhancements, the Department of Transportation announced Monday.

Residents are not required to immediately replace their licenses, but rather will receive the new card the next time they update their license. All driver and photo centers will transition to the new cards by mid-November.

"The update is an important component of PennDOT's ongoing work to enhance and protect the integrity of the driver license and identification card issuance process," PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said.

Photo identification cards, regular drivers licenses, and REAL IDs will use the new features.

A chief enhancement of the new cards is the "Guilloche security design," which embeds customized security patterning into the card. The cards will also have features that change apperance depending on the viewing angle, an enhancement called "optically variable ghost portrait." Certain parts of the card are only visible under ultraviolet light.

A final feature is the DLTE — the Dynamic Look Through Element. It adds a gold metallic tint, visible only under direct lighting, that helps verify the card's veracity.

The new cards are distinct from the REAL ID program and its looming deadline. Real IDs are not required in Pennsylvania, but driver's licenses must be REAL IDs by May 3, 2023 in order to be used as identification to board a flight. Passports remain valid for flights as well.

For more information on Pennsylvania's REAL ID program, see online here.