TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a newly designed Florida driver license and identification card during a Florida Cabinet meeting at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
The updated credentials will be available at service centers statewide beginning Wednesday, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) confirmed in a news release.
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The updated credential incorporates enhanced security features, including an image of the state seal, along with a “Temporary Non-Domiciled” marking for Commercial Driver Licenses and Commercial Learner’s Permits. State officials said the redesign is aimed at strengthening identity verification and maintaining REAL ID compliance.
The front of the credential features Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, the oldest masonry fortress in the continental United States, as its background image. The design incorporates an orange as the “O” in “Florida,” a Florida manatee in the bottom left corner and a Florida alligator inside the REAL ID star in the top right corner.
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On the back, the card displays Space Shuttle Discovery, which flew 39 missions and spent 365 days in space before making its final landing in Florida on March 9, 2011. It also features the motto “Let Us Alone,” taken from Florida’s first unofficial state flag presented to Gov. William D. Moseley at his inauguration.
FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner said the new design highlights agency’s ongoing efforts to prevent identity fraud.
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“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,” Kerner said in the news release. “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.”
Online orders for the redesigned credentials will open through MyDMVPortal.flhsmv.gov by early November.
Florida residents are not required to replace their existing driver license or identification card, as currently valid credentials remain active until their standard expiration dates.
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