§ 610. License certificates

(a) The Commissioner shall assign a distinguishing number to each licensee and shall furnish the licensee with a license certificate that shows the number and the licensee's full name, date of birth, and residential address, except that at the request of the licensee, the licensee's mailing address may be listed, or an alternative address may be listed if otherwise authorized by law. The certificate also shall include a brief physical description and a space for the signature of the licensee. The license shall be void until signed by the licensee. If a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. § 101(2), requests a veteran designation and provides proof of veteran status as specified in subdivision 603(a)(3) of this title, and the Office of Veterans Affairs confirms his or her status as an honorably discharged veteran or a veteran discharged under honorable conditions, the license certificate shall include the term "veteran" on its face.

(b) A motor vehicle operator's license issued to an individual who is under the age of 18 shall be distinguishable by color from a motor vehicle operator's license issued to an individual who is over the age of 18 but under the age of 21, and both cards shall be distinguishable by color from a motor vehicle operator's license issued to an individual 21 or older. A motor vehicle operator's license issued to an individual under the age of 21 shall clearly indicate, in prominent type, the date on which the individual will become 21. The distinguishing colors shall be the same as those used to distinguish identification cards issued under section 115 of this title.

(c) Each license certificate issued to a first-time applicant and each subsequent renewal by that person shall be issued with the photograph or imaged likeness of the licensee included on the certificate. The Commissioner shall determine the locations where photographic licenses may be issued. A person issued a license under this subsection that contains an imaged likeness may renew his or her license by mail. Except that a renewal by a licensee required to have a photograph or imaged likeness under this subsection must be made in person so that an updated imaged likeness of the person is obtained no less often than once every nine years.

(d) Each license certificate issued to an initial or renewal applicant shall include a bar code with minimum data elements as prescribed in 6 C.F.R. § 37.19. (Amended 1993, No. 212 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 1999, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2003, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 2013, No. 57, § 15; 2019, No. 60, § 4.)