Florida redesigns its driver’s licenses and ID cards
As of Wednesday, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will begin issuing its new driver’s licenses and identification cards with a new design.
The new design features elements of Florida’s history. Castillo de San Marcos is the background image on the front of the card. Located in St. Augustine, Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fortress in the continental United States.
Florida’s iconic orange is incorporated as the “O” in “Florida,” while the bottom-left corner features the Florida manatee, one of the state’s most recognizable native species.
The Florida alligator is also incorporated into the REAL ID star in the top right-hand corner of each card.
The back of the card pays tribute to Florida’s Space Coast with an image of Space Shuttle Discovery, which flew 39 missions and spent 365 days in space before making its final landing in Florida on March 9, 2011.
The card also features the motto “Let Us Alone” from Florida’s first unofficial state flag, which was presented to Gov. William D. Moseley upon his inauguration.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the rollout of the new driver’s licenses and identification cards during a Florida Cabinet meeting at the Florida State Capitol.
Along with the new design, the credential incorporates an image of the state seal as an enhanced security feature and includes the “Temporary Non-Domiciled” marking for commercial driver’s licenses and commercial learner’s permits, FLHSMV announced.
“Florida continues to set the standard for secure credentialing. Our last major redesign introduced high‑security features that nearly doubled the fraud protection measures, significantly strengthening the integrity of Florida’s credentials,” said FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. “Since then, we’ve enhanced our credentialing practices to anticipate emerging fraud trends and strengthen identity verification across agencies. This latest redesign further solidifies Florida’s leadership in secure identification technology and REAL ID compliance.”
Florida residents are not required to replace their existing driver’s license or identification card. All currently valid credentials will remain valid until they expire and will be phased out over time.
The modified credential will be available for online renewals by the end of November 2026.