Thirty one states use computerized matching to try to determine whether a license applicant has a license in another state.
Some states are finding that if a person smiles, it can throw off the matching programs. As a result, states are getting tougher on happy licenses photos.
“‘Neutral facial expressions’ are required at departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) in Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada and Virginia. That means you can’t smile, or smile very much. Other states may follow.
“The serious poses are urged by DMVs that have installed high-tech software that compares a new license photo with others that have already been shot. When a new photo seems to match an existing one, the software sends alarms that someone may be trying to assume another driver’s identity.”
In Indiana, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is not allowing smiles, glasses or scarves in license photos.
