If you’re getting, replacing, or renewing a Florida driver's license or ID card, you’ll now see a change aimed at protecting you from identity theft.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles began implementing a new state law that requires numbers assigned to a driver's license or identification card to include at least four randomly generated numbers.
The Better Business Bureau, or BBB, believes the change will benefit consumers.
“When we talk about identity theft, people always are very cautious with their social security, but a license is also another document that gives the scammers access to deeper personal information,” said Cinthya Lavin, a spokesperson for the BBB.
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According to the BBB, the change implemented in Florida should keep scammers from stealing your driver’s license number and generating fake IDs like they currently do.
“They can grab the number and put it onto another card that has a magnetic strip and maybe a different picture, date of birth, but the license number is legitimate. So they can use it to steal your identity," Lavin said. "It helps these scammers go into a bank and maybe try and get a credit in your name, open a bank account. It also gives them access to some of the local accounts for your tag information, different things."
The Department said once the new number is issued, it will only change again if the person’s last name changes. This change is in addition to other levels of security that were implemented with the new Real ID.
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If you want another level of protection, the Department can place a “Verify ID Flag” on your Florida driving record. You can request this by sending them a written request to the following address:
Bureau of Motorist Services Support
Driver License Fraud Unit, Mail Stop 84
2900 Apalachee Parkway
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
