MorphoTrust provides fully integrated and secure solutions to the highly regulated market of North American driver licenses. Roland Fournier, Product Management Director at MorphoTrust shared his opinions upon these.
Rules governing driver licenses in America vary from state to state, especially with regards to the legal driving age, which ranges from 14 years and 3 months in South Dakota to 17 years in New Jersey. Driver licenses are a valid form of identity in the United States, which means they are used a lot. They are needed on a daily basis by people using credit cards and purchasing cars as well as insurance, for example.
To obtain a license, Americans are required to visit an approved center for the first copy of the card. Then, every five years, the license can most likely be renewed online. MorphoTrust offers Motor Vehicle Agencies (MVA), a comprehensive solution for producing driver licenses.
"We provide the software, hardware and systems to create driver licenses under highly secure conditions. The cards need to be ready fast, ensuring a hassle-free experience for the requester," explains Roland Fournier.
MorphoTrust is the dominating solution provider for American driver licenses, with an estimated market share of 80% and 42 out of 50 U.S. states. "In 23 U.S. states, approved centers can print the cards in the office. For the other 19, MorphoTrust produces the cards highly secure factories using the information it receives from the states. There are a total of six sites that produce the driver licenses. All in all, we produce over 70 million driver licenses every year," emphasizes Fournier.
Stopping Counterfeits and Fraud
"Our driver licenses are made out of co-extruded polyester and Teslin – two ultra-resistant materials. Any attempt at trying to modify the driver license results in the card virtually self-destructing, which means it quickly becomes completely unusable," says Roland Fournier. Driver licenses made by MorphoTrust may also feature a laser perforated watermark feature. "The laser-perforated security feature does not penetrate the entire card; it stops inside, in the center of the card. This makes the watermark very difficult to forge. Our driver licenses also feature a laser-engraved and full color ultraviolet ghost image of the card owner in addition to a color photo that is integrated into the document. The ultraviolet (UV) image can only be seen under ultraviolet light and is superimposed on to the document. The UV ghost image is made using red, green and blue fluorescent ink. The red and green colors used are not available to the general public, which makes things even tougher for those wanting to make fake driver licenses." In the U.S. states where MorphoTrust may be tasked with printing the cards, the driver licenses can also be customized with a great level of detail. "And, of course, our production facilities are certified by NASPO (North American Secure Products Organization)," adds Roland Fournier.
In order to gain a better foothold in the market, MorphoTrust is set to develop a new solution dedicated to vehicle services, such as registration papers. The new system, dubbed MorphoTrust Vehicle 360, will be unveiled to the general public very soon.