New Florida drivers license and ID card format

On September 30, 2026, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) began issuing a redesigned drivers license and identification card. As a result, organizations that verify identity in Florida must be prepared to accept these new valid credential formats.

While the design highlights Florida’s history, wildlife, and landmarks, its practical implications for retailers, transportation companies, financial institutions, and other businesses that rely on ID authentication are significant: a new layout, updated security features, and a transition period during which the risk of fraudulent documents typically increases.

New features on the Florida drivers license

The redesigned card incorporates several Florida symbols, many of which also function as security features intended to deter counterfeiting.

New design features include:

• An orange replacing the “O” in Florida
• Images of St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos and a manatee on the front of the card
• An alligator in the REAL ID star symbol
• Images of the Discovery space shuttle and a flag with the phrase “Let Us Alone” on the back of the card

The redesigned Florida ID has nearly double the amount of security features compared to the previous design, including tactile security features, UV ink, and optically variable features, in an effort to make the credential more difficult to duplicate.

The newly issued Florida IDs can also include “Temporary Non-Domiciled” markings for commercial drivers licenses (CDLs) and commercial learner’s permits.

Unchanged elements on the new Florida drivers license

Several elements on the new Florida ID cards and drivers licenses remain consistent with the previous format. Florida continues to use color-coded headers to distinguish credential types: blue for CDLs, green for standard driver licenses, red for identification cards, and orange for learner licenses. Cardholders under 21 continue to receive a prominent red indicator.

Rollout timeline and validity of existing Florida drivers licenses

Florida residents are not required to replace their current credentials. All valid driver licenses and identification cards remain valid until their expiration dates and will be phased out as cardholders renew or replace them.

The new design is currently being issued at service centers statewide, and is expected to be available for online orders through the MyDMV Portal in early November 2026. Consequently, organizations should expect to encounter credentials issued under the 2019, 2020, and 2026 designs concurrently.

In addition, changes required by HB 991 take effect on January 1, 2027, so Florida’s credential is expected to change again within the coming months. HB 991 would require new, renewed, and replacement REAL ID credentials to indicate whether the cardholder is a US citizen or has another legal status. The current ID design does not include this designation.

How the new Florida ID impacts identity verification

Although the redesign strengthens the credential’s resistance to counterfeiting over the long term, the introduction of any new design creates a period of heightened risk.

• Limited staff familiarity. Employees trained on previous designs may accept a convincing counterfeit of the new card because they have not yet encountered a genuine example. Conversely, they may reject a legitimate credential that appears unfamiliar.
• Rapid counterfeit production. Fraudulent ID vendors commonly advertise replicas of new state designs shortly after release, anticipating that organizations have not yet trained staff on the new security features.
• Features that are difficult to inspect visually. Much of the new imagery is layered or embedded in the background, and features including UV watermarks are impossible to detect with visual inspection alone.
• Multiple concurrent formats. With several valid designs in circulation, manual inspection depends on staff knowledge of each version, which is difficult to maintain in fast-paced environments.

Accepting a fraudulent credential can expose an organization to regulatory penalties, license suspension and financial loss, while rejecting a valid one harms the customer experience. The likelihood of both errors increases when a state introduces a new design.

Can IDScan.net verify the new Florida drivers license and ID card?

Yes. IDScan.net’s identity verification solutions, like VeriScan Identity Platform, support the updated Florida driver’s license and identification card format. IDScan.net monitors identification document changes across all 50 states and updates its ID library accordingly, enabling organizations to verify new credentials without extensive retraining.

Because our software recognizes every valid Florida format, staff can accept the 2019, 2020, and 2026 designs with the same confidence and identify counterfeit documents that may pass visual inspection.

Why keeping ID verification technology updated matters

Government-issued identification documents are constantly evolving as fraud techniques become more sophisticated. States regularly update their credentials to introduce stronger security features and improve protection against identity theft.

For businesses that rely on IDs for age verification, customer onboarding, compliance, or fraud prevention, outdated scanning technology can create unnecessary risk. Maintaining an updated ID verification system ensures organizations can confidently accept legitimate documents while identifying suspicious or altered credentials.

Summary

Florida’s redesigned drivers license and ID card, issued at service centers statewide since September 30, 2026, features several new design and security elements. Florida’s redesigned credential offers improved protection against counterfeiting. Existing credentials remain valid until they expire, so organizations will encounter the 2019, 2020 and 2026 designs concurrently.