Nevada – New ‘No-Smiles’ Policy for Driver’s Licenses Coming to a DMV Near You

    9

    file photo: man poses for a new driver's license picture Nevada – Four states are ordering people to wipe the grins off their faces in their license photos.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    “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.

    But there’s a wrinkle in the technology: a person’s grin. Face-recognition software can fail to match two photos of the same person if facial expressions differ in each photo, says Carnegie Mellon University robotics professor Takeo Kanade.

    Dull expressions “make the comparison process more accurate,” says Karen Chappell, deputy commissioner of the Virginia DMV, whose no-smile policy took effect in March.

    Elaine Mullen of Great Falls, Va., bristled at the policy while renewing her license until she heard the reasoning. “It’s probably safer from a national-security point of view,” she says.

    Arkansas, Indiana and Nevada allow slight smiles. “You just can’t grin really large,” Arkansas driver services chief Tonie Shields says.

    A total of 31 states do computerized matching of driver’s license photos and three others are considering it, says the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Most say their software matches faces regardless of expressions. “People can smile here in Pennsylvania,” state Transportation Department spokesman Craig Yetter says.

    In Illinois, photo matching has stopped 6,000 people from getting fraudulent licenses since the technology was launched in 1999, says Beth Langen, the state head of Drivers Services.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    9 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    How can you smile after sitting 5 hours just for renewal of a license

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Soon you wont be able to even think of smiling. =)

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    After all, when the cop stops you for speeding, you won’t be smiling either…

    Milhouse
    Milhouse
    14 years ago

    Passport photos already require this.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Its been like this in Canada for years. They take your photo a bunch of times til its EXACTLY right. so annoying

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    great, now erma bombeck’s prediction will come true: that hell is where people look like their driver’s license photos.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    but the veil is covering ur face isnt it???no smiling eyes??

    bigwheeel
    bigwheeel
    14 years ago

    …Personally. If I’m told to “Stop Smiling”, that’s when I burst out laughing…!!!

    Gidon Ariel
    Gidon Ariel
    14 years ago

    remind me of this movie going around
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao