Features for Physical Security of Driver Licenses and Identification Cards

by Dr. Brad Paulson, Thor Engineering, ICMA Standards Representative

First developed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and published in 2000, the newly released second revision “2005 AAMVA Personal Identification—AAMVA International Specification—DL/ID Card Design” provides a uniform means to identify issuers and holders of driver license (DL) and identification (ID) cards throughout North America. The document describes four types of threats to document security: counterfeit/simulation, alteration, photo substitution, and cannibalization; and includes an index of DL/ID Security Devices in Annex C to address two levels of inspection for those threats. While the annex is meant to be informative rather than mandatory, it is a compilation of physical security features and the level of threat they are intended to address.

As noted previously, Annex C contains an index of security devices for driving licenses and identification cards. The first section of the index identifies features produced in the printing process:

1. Deliberate Errors/known flaws: A feature is purposely made with an intentional mistake known only to the manufacturer or inspection officials.

2. Duplex Patterns: A design made up of an interlocking pattern of small irregular shapes, printed in two colors and requiring very close register printing in order to preserve the integrity of the image.

3.Guilloche pattern: A background pattern of continuously fine lines constructed by using two or more lines in overlapping bands that repeat a lacy, web-like curve.

4. Fine line foreground: A pattern of continuously fine lines constructed by using two or more lines overlapping bands that repeat a lacy, web-like curve.

5. Front to back (see through) registration: A design printed on both sides of a card that forms an interlocking image when held to a light source.

6. Ghost Image: Half tone reproduction of the original image that is typically printed in the same area as, and behind, personal data.

7. Layered printing (on lamination): Printing separate elements of the secure design on different layers of the laminated card body materials so that no single layer contains all of the security features and the entire product is only apparent after lamination.

8. Micro optical imaging: Text, line art, gray scale images and multi-reflectivity images are engineered into optical write-once-read-many (WORM) media at high resolution (over 12,000 dpi).

9. Microprinting/nanoprinting: Miniature lettering which is discernible under magnification
and incorporated into fine line backgrounds or placed to appear as bold lines.

10. Moiré pattern (anti-scan/VOID pattern): A new pattern formed by the super positioning of two patterns whose periodicities are not identical. Security designs can be developed so that a scanner or copier will only display part of the pattern and/or word VOID or COPY appears instead of the pattern.

11. Non-standard type fonts: Special type that is not available on the commercial market and is reserved for security card use only.

12. Rainbow printing: A controlled exacting color shift subtly in a linear continuous fashion. Accurately designed patterns cannot be easily copied or duplicated via scanning. It is applied using non-commercial method of printing. It is often used with fine line or medallion pattern in the background of a card.

13. Security code: High-resolution color printing systems print a security code within the body of the color printed photo image. The code can be printed in a non-proportional font that can imbed characters on the edge or bottom of the printed picture.

Techniques with the printing inks are described in the second section:

1. Chemically reactive: Contains a security agent that is sensitive to chemicals, i.e., polar and non-polar solvents and bleach, commonly used to alter documents. The
chemical reaction is for the ink to run, stain, and bleed to show evidence of document tampering.

2.Infrared fluorescent: Forms a visible image when illuminated with light in the infrared/visible read part of the spectrum.

3. Infrared dropout: Forms a visible image when illuminated with light in the visible part of the spectrum, but cannot be detected in the infrared region.

4. Metallic, pearlescent, and iridescent: Inks that fluctuate in brilliance depending on the angle of illumination of the viewing.

5. Metameric: The use of a pair of ink colors that differ in spectral composition but match one another under certain lighting conditions, e.g., under incandescent light they may appear the same, but under colored light they appear as different colors.

6. Phosphorescent: Contains a pigment that glows when exposed to a light source of appropriate wavelength. The reactive glow decays after the light source is removed.

7. Tagged: Contains taggants or compounds that are not naturally occurring and that can be detected using special equipment that reacts to electromagnetic energy identifying the grouping or type.

8. Thermochromatic: Ink that exhibits a sharp, reversible color change when exposed to heat, i.e., finger rubbing or hot air.

9. Ultraviolet fluorescence: Invisible inks that emit visible color under exposure to ultraviolet light. Colors can be formulated that are not commercially available, making resistance to counterfeiting higher.

Inclusions in the substrates are described in the next section:

1. Core inclusion: Manufacture of card stock with different layers. A colored core material may be placed inside to create a colored edge along the card.

2. Embedded thread, fiber, or planchette: Small, often fluorescent, particles or platelets incorporated into a card material at the time of manufacture that can be seen later under certain lighting conditions. The embedded elements may have magnetic or other machine-readable properties that may be used to enhance the levels of security provided.

3. Opacity mark: Similar to a watermark, it is a plastic that contains a unique translucent mark.

4. Security bonding: The card periphery incorporates a security bonding material that bonds all of the layers together. Tamper evidence is seen if access is attempted to obtain the internal structures of the card.

5. Ultraviolet features: Card bodies are made UV dull or possess a controlled response to UV light so they exhibit fluorescence that can be distinguished in color from the “blue” used in commonly available fluorescent materials.

Optically variable device (OVD) authentication effects, which are described in the fourth section, cannot be photo copied or digitally recreated:

1. Metallized Diffractive Optically Variable Image Device (DOVID): Opaque metallized diffractive image OVD.

2. De-metallized OVD (Diffractive Image): A combination of metal and transparency on the same foil or laminate. High resolution OVD has selective de-metallization, and can be either transparent or opaque.

3. Transparent DOVID: When incorporated into a driver license design, feature will not interfere with photo or data information.

4. Film – Color Shifting OVD: Semi-transparent, multilayer light interference film creates noticeable, reflecting color shifts, i.e., clear to blue, magenta to blue, yellow to orange, etc.

5. Ink – Color Shifting OVD: Printed opaque, multilayer light interference ink pigment creates noticeable, reflecting color shifts, i.e., gold to green, green to blue, etc., similar to that seen on may global identification documents including driver licenses, banknotes, passports, and visas.

6. Liquid Crystal – Color Shifting OVD: Semi-transparent, liquid crystal light interference layers create noticeable, reflecting color shifts, i.e., orange to green.

7. Personalized OVD: OVD that is personalized for each card based upon biographical data, portrait, or signature of the cardholder.

8. Virtual Image OVD: Transparent or semi-transparent virtual image appears to float above or sink below the surface of the document, as the viewing angle changes.

The last section describes technologies not included in the previous sections:

1. Biometric feature (template): A biometric template of the cardholders physical characteristics

2. Covert Device – Readable and Storage Technology: Unique individual Near Infrared or Infrared data mark, two-dimensional encrypted bar code, capable of storing independent information or details.

3. Covert variable pixel manipulation: Covert dot matrix images that are converted to visible text with special reader or lens.

4. Digital Seal: Method of securing and validating data by electronic means using digital signature technology. The issuing authority “signs” the information contained in the machine-readable technology (MRT).

5. Embedded Image: An image or information that is embedded or encoded within a primary visual image.

6. Laminates (security): Transparent layers or films with an integrated security feature(s) are applied to the card with an adhesive or fused by heat. Available in a number of forms, security laminates are designed to be tamper evident and carry other security feature to the card.

7. Laser encoded optical image: Image and text files are placed to an optical WORM media as a visible diffraction pattern image that is eye-readable under a variety of lighting conditions.

8. Laser engraving: Information cannot be mechanically or chemically removed without surface damage to the card. Can be used for photos, characters, bar codes, optical character recognition (OCR), etc.

9. Laser perforation: Holes are made with the laser beam of images or objects. The image is visible when held up to a light source. It has a tactile feel with conical holes that are larger at the entrance than the exit.

10. Machine readable technology (MRT): Magnetic stripe, smart card, bar codes, OCR, optical WORM media, etc. Verifies the authenticity of the document,
the data or the person presenting the card by use of a reader and comparison of the stored data to other information.

11. Magnetic media fingerprinting: Tracks unique, random patterns of magnetic media formed as a by-product of card manufacture. The pattern is recorded at the time the card is encoded and this pattern can later be compared to the pattern detected when the card is scanned.

12. Optical media fingerprinting: Tracks unique, random patterns of optic media (e.g., fibers) on a card. The pattern is recorded at the time the card is encoded and this pattern can later be compared to the pattern detected when the card is scanned.

13. Optical watermark: Fine line images that are engineered into optical WORM media with very high resolution (12,000 dpi). The watermark is overwritten with a laser-encoded optical image, locking together a preformatted document security feature with a laser encoded personalization security feature.

14. Overlay: Ultra-thin film or protective coating that may be applied to the surface of a card in place of a security laminate and which may contain optically variable features.

15. Overlapping data: Variable data, such as digitized signature, seals, or text, can be placed over another field, such as a photo. Both fields must be altered if a substitution is to take place, making it more difficult.

16. Redundant data: Display of data in more than one location on the card. A visual inspection may determine if all of the fields match. Usually, the data is displayed in a variety of colors and fonts to further deter alteration.

17. Retro reflective device: Optical constructions that reflect light such that covert logs become visible over the entire document when view using a focused light source or retro reflective viewer.

18. Security threads: Metal or plastic, these threads are seen on currency. With special metallized film, demetallized text is invisible in reflected light and therefore is difficult to copy. When view in transmitted light opaque aluminum letters are clearly visible.

19. Thin film interference filters: Multiple layer structures that produce color effects by interference.

20. Tactile feature: A feature that is apparent to touch or feel without requiring a special instrument. This could include texture, flexibility, or weight of the document and/or a feature incorporated in the card structure or card components.

As listed in the standard, the security device index of Annex C was developed as a tool to aid the security design of Driver License and Identification documents, and to insure coverage of common threats to document integrity. It is not intended to require specific security technologies, but to assist selection of appropriate techniques
for pre-determined security threats.