Paper driver's licenses: More than 80,000 issued so far

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

They might feel flimsy, but they're legit.

The state has issued more than 80,000 interim driver's licenses and ID cards, printed on special security paper, since December. That's when the Department of Driver Services stopped making new licenses at its customer service centers and switched production to a central site.

So while you're waiting for your new license -- the wait should take about two weeks -- you get an interim one good for 45 days. People who renew online, however, don't have to bother with the paper license.

The department has gotten about four questions a week about interim licenses. A few bank tellers have inquired, as did a Wal-Mart and a grocery store chain. Spokeswoman Susan Sports said the department did extensive public outreach for a year to get the word out.

"With any new process, there are questions and you can't reach everybody," she said. "The questions and concerns have been very few compared to what we anticipated."

The new permanent licenses contain an array of security features that make them harder to duplicate. There's a laser-engraved signature over the driver's photo, a two-dimensional bar code, and an optical device that varies as the card's orientation is moved. The interim licenses also have several security features, such as a state seal created with heat-sensitive ink.

"More and more states are going to a central issuance facility," Sports said. "You get a more secure document and it's in a secure facility. It's another step in preventing fraud."

While some retailers might not be aware of the paper licenses yet, Mac's Beer and Wine in Midtown is.

"We've seen plenty of them already," manager Spencer Clark said. "We were all pretty well informed. Maybe the first few someone saw, they might have done a double-take, but it's been just fine."

For more information, log on to the department's Web site: www.dds.ga.gov.