Minnesota Same-Day ID holders are reporting their legitimate IDs flagged as fake by ID checkers and ID verification software.
Minnesota’s same-day driver’s licenses and ID cards, issued as part of a pilot program at two Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) locations, have raised red flags during identity verification, both to the human eye and under document authentication software. While these IDs are legitimate and carry the same barcode data as centrally issued cards, visual differences in the card design are causing confusion, and in some cases, serious issues for cardholders.
The Issue: Visual mismatches, not data errors
The core of the problem lies not in the data stored in the barcode (which should verify correctly) but in how the physical card appears to both scanners and the naked eye. Document authentication systems are trained to detect fraudulent IDs by comparing the scanned document to known templates. Since the same-day IDs’ design doesn’t match the expected Minnesota template, they are sometimes triggering the sensitive software to flag the document as suspicious. Additionally, bouncers or other professionals who are familiar with the standard Minnesota drivers license may notice the discrepancies and assume the ID is fake.
Differences between same-day and centrally issued Minnesota IDs
| Feature | Same-day ID | Centrally issued ID |
| Ghost image of photo | In color | Black and white |
| Canoeist image | Not present | Present |
| Laser-perforated walleye | Not present | Present |
| Date of birth | Appears once | Appears twice |
| Shoreline background (under 21 IDs) | Appears vertically | Appears horizontally |
While these visual discrepancies are purely cosmetic, they have real-world consequences. In one case, a 21-year-old celebrating his birthday had the police called on him when a bouncer believed his valid, same-day issued ID was fake.
Other Minnesotans who received same-day IDs have reported issues using their cards when traveling or trying to access age-restricted venues.
Why these differences exist on Minnesota drivers licenses
The Minnesota DVS began offering same-day issuance in October 2022 at two pilot locations: Lakeville and Moorhead. Because these cards are printed on-site, they differ in material and appearance from the central issue cards mailed from the state.
“Same-day issue cards are only available in Lakeville and Moorhead. They look and feel slightly different than the central issue cards due to the cardstock and the laminate printing process… There is no indication that the cards are not functioning properly or that this is a technical issue, but more an issue of look and feel.” – Minnesota DVS Director Pong Xiong
What about the barcode?
Minnesota IDs include a 2D barcode that adheres to AAMVA standards as of 2018, which should allow for successful barcode-based verification. However, earlier iterations of Minnesota IDs, including Enhanced Driver’s Licenses released in 2014, encoded only limited data: name, date of birth, and license number. Standard licenses also excluded the address field until the 2018 upgrade.
It’s important to note that if an ID’s barcode data is accurate, it should pass barcode scanning, but authentication systems using template-matching may still reject it based on appearance.
How to avoid issues with same-day Minnesota IDs
Unfortunately, there’s no way to “fix” a same-day issued card to match the traditional design. However, if you believe your ID was issued in error or contains incorrect information, you can submit an error report to the DVS.
For those frequently encountering issues, opting for the standard mailed version of the ID may help avoid complications.
