Clarification appended
Oregonians could start receiving newly designed driver’s license and identification cards this month, part of what state transportation officials are calling the biggest overhaul of the ID cards since 2003.
The new licenses aren’t a requirement just yet, but Oregonians whose licenses have expired or otherwise need to replace a lost card may be issued one of the latest designs starting next week.
Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett said a select number of DMV offices would test the card designs starting mid-December ahead of a full state rollout expected in March 2019. Two Salem DMV locations will be the test-dummies starting Dec. 17.
“Your current cards will remain valid,” Garrett said at the state’s November transportation commission meeting, “and you will not have to take any action.”
You don’t need a new card if you move to a different city or address within the state.
New card holders will notice a more colorful design overall, including Mount Hood on the back. Drivers under the age of 21 will receive cards with a vertical layout to allow for quicker identification for retailers selling alcohol.
The cards also have “laser-etched” text to pop out from the colorful design. The cards will not be more expensive, the state said.
Cards are also equipped with “tiny patterns that are difficult to see without magnification,” according to a news release, making the cards more secure and difficult to rip off.
Oregon’s new cards won’t comply with the federal Real ID Act yet, which was passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the Patriot Act as a way to beef up security. Future iterations of the new card design will comply with that requirement.
“Oregon will begin to offer an optional Real ID-compliant card in July 2020,” the state said in a statement. The Real ID compliant card will be optional.
But, by October 2020, Oregonians and all Americans will no longer be able to use driver’s licenses that are not compliant with the federal Real ID act to board commercial airplanes. Passports and other federally acceptable forms of identification will remain acceptable at that time.
UPDATE: A previous version of this story misstated the plan for the card’s Real ID compliance. While the cards Oregonians will receive will not be Real ID complaint, future versions, beginning in July 2020, will comply with that law.
-- Andrew Theen
503-294-4026
@andrewtheen