The standard specifies identification information on driver license applications. In the high-capacity technologies such as magnetic stripe, bar codes, optical variable device (OVD) and optical memory, the AAMVA standard employs international standard application coding to make additional applications possible on the same card.
The AAMVA standard does not impose requirements for the recording of driving-related convictions or the withdrawal of driving privileges. Please refer to AAMVA’s pages on the Driver License Compact / Non-Resident Violator Compact and the Driver License Agreement for additional information on the sharing of driver convictions and withdrawal of driving privileges in the U.S. and Canada.
The standard meets the following objectives:
- Uniquely identifies the card issuer and cardholder
- Brings uniformity to the millions of driver license cards now in circulation
- Encourages transition from existing practice to the new standard
- Assists administrative efficiency and accuracy through machine-readable identification within a foundation that encourages future applications
- Employs a common security feature, the optical variable device (OVD)
- Facilitates future development in technology and application
The standard is a U.S./Canadian application of existing international identification card standards relating to physical characteristics, layout, data access and storage techniques, physical security requirements, and to registration procedures for identification of card issuers. The standard specifies:
- Minimum requirements for presenting human-readable identification information
- Format and data content of identification in the following techniques:
- Magnetic stripe
- Bar code
- Optical Memory
- Digital imaging
- Optical variable device (OVD)
With the exception of the optical variable device, the use of any of these technologies is optional. However, when a technology is used, it must fully comply with the standard.
Work on this standard began in 1997 and is a result of cooperation between AAMVA and the AAMVA Industry Advisory Board. The development involved broad-based project teams including state driver license agencies, government, equipment and software suppliers, card vendors, and consultants. AAMVA initially hoped to have the standard accepted as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard. However, due to an objection from a representative for the convenience store community, efforts to promulgate the standard as an ANSI standard were brought to a halt. AAMVA and the DMV community will continue to seek promulgation of the AAMVA standard as a national standard through the ANSI organization. AAMVA published the standard as an AAMVA DL / ID Standard after a vote of overwhelming support from AAMVA’s member jurisdictions.
Revisions to the AAMVA Standard
The AAMVA Standards Working Group is in the process of revising the current standard. Current proposed revisions are available for information and comment from AAMVA members. When a degree of consensus has been achieved within the Standards Working Group on the proposed revisions, they will be publicly available on the AAMVA Web site for review and comment. Please send all comments to Geoff Slagle.
Contact: Geoff Slagle, Director, Identification Standards, (703) 342-7459 For jurisdictional representatives, your involvement in this effort is crucial!
Statement Regarding DL/ID Samples
AAMVA does not provide sample DL/ID documents / specimens / exemplars from our principal membership - for questions related to such requests please contact the issuing authorities directly.