NYACS Encouraged By Security Features of New Driver's Licenses

ALBANY, NY (11/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Following a meeting today with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the New York Association of Convenience Stores said it has a better understanding of the re-design of the state driver's license.

"Because convenience stores take seriously their legal and moral obligation to prevent underage sales of tobacco and alcohol, we had expressed concern yesterday about how the re-design might impact the proofing of customers by retail cashiers," said NYACS President James Calvin. "But the more I learn about this new polycarbonate card, which is already being used for passports and other federal documents, the more encouraged I am."

In a letter to the DMV, he said planned state-of-the-art, tamper-proof security features "would serve to further the objective we all share – reducing youth access to age-restricted products."

"I was also pleased to learn that the Under-21 licenses would have a vertical, rather than horizontal, format, making them instantly recognizable to the seller," he wrote.

To assist store cashiers who must quickly check IDs and decide whether to make the sale, "we still would prefer a color photo rather than black-and-white, and the expiration date in red numerals rather than black," Calvin said. "But we now understand that those options are simply not available if this technology is used. At least the black-and-white photo is high-resolution, so it will be sharper."

A copy of Calvin's letter to the DMV is attached.