Last updated on August 5th, 2024 at 02:15 pm
ID security features are among the key factors that help determine whether an ID is real or fake. One such security feature is microprint.
What is microprint on an ID?
As the name suggests, microprint is extremely small text that is often incorporated into the design of a driver’s license as a security measure. Because the print is extremely small, and difficult to see with the naked eye, it is often omitted from low quality fake IDs, or blurred beyond readability when an ID is replicated using low quality equipment.
While states follow guidelines from either the ICAO or AAMVA for where specific security features should be placed on the respective state ID, the designs differ from state to state, and some states do not always adhere to the standard.
Which state IDs have microprints?
We extensively examined each ID to help create a better understanding of what to look for when using microprint to help determine an ID’s legitimacy. Given that each state has a different design, the text and number of occurrences of microprint for each state is different. Because of this, microprint is one of the most difficult ID security features to reproduce. Below we have listed all the states with microprint built into the ID security features, and how many occurrences of microprint exist on each state design version.
Alabama
Alabama only has one occurrence of microprint on their ID.
Alaska
Alaska only has one occurrence of microprint on their ID.
Arizona
Arizona has five occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Arkansas
Arizona has six occurrences of microprint on their ID.
California
California has seven occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Colorado
Colorado only has one occurrence of microprint on their ID.
Connecticut
Connecticut has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Delaware
Delaware has five occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Florida
Florida has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Georgia
Georgia has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Idaho
Idaho has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Illinois
Illinois has eight occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Indiana
Indiana has five occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Iowa
Iowa only has one occurrence of microprint on their ID.
Kansas
Kansas has eight occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Kentucky
Kentucky has six occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Louisiana
Louisiana has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Maine
Maine has eight occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Maryland
Maryland has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts has seven occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Michigan
Michigan has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Minnesota
Minnesota has seven occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Mississippi
Mississippi has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Missouri
Missouri has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Montana
Montana has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Nebraska
Nebraska has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Nevada
Nevada has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire has two occurrences of microprint on their ID.
New Jersey
New Jersey has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
New Mexico
New Mexico has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
New York
New York has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
North Carolina
North Carolina has six occurrences of microprint on their ID.
North Dakota
North Dakota has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Ohio
Ohio has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Oregon
Oregon has two occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
South Carolina
South Carolina has two occurrences of microprint on their ID.
South Dakota
South Dakota has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Tennessee
Tennessee has eight occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Texas
Texas has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Utah
Utah has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Vermont
Vermont has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Virginia
Virginia has four occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Washington
Washington has two occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. has three occurrences of microprint on their ID.
West Virginia
West Virginia has seven occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin has five occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Wyoming
Wyoming has two occurrences of microprint on their ID.
Which state IDs do not contain microprint security features?
The only state which does not have microprint is Hawaii.
How ID authentication helps catch fake IDs
Authentication is the most stringent stage of ID verification. Authentication requires specialty hardware. A phone, or handheld ID scanner, will not be equipped with the type of camera or lighting required to truly put an ID through its paces. The following checks occur during ID authentication:
- Minimum 400 DPI image capture for both sides of the ID
- UV hologram screening library
- IR watermark screening library
- White light scanning
- Additional algorithmic checks on the physical ID
ID authentication can be performed concurrently with ID validation. Authentication provides the highest degree of fake detection and accurately catches the majority of suspicious IDs. Even the best fake ID manufacturers have difficulty passing the hundreds of checks that are done in the authentication stage.
How to improve identity verification for your business
Drivers license scanning is a straightforward and simple to increase your security, age verification, and fake detection. With the right combination of ID scanning software and ID scanner, your business can show marked improvement in fraud reduction, compliance, and overall efficiency.
Contact our team to see how we can implement affordable solutions to help you authenticate IDs, verify your customers, and stay compliant.
