New Jersey Bans Smiling in Driver's License Photos

rockin'robin

rockin'robin

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Going to the department of motor vehicles can put a frown on anyone's face, but for New Jersey residents, smiling is officially against the rules.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has cracked down on drivers smiling in their driver's license photos because their smiles could interfere with new facial recognition software.

New Jersey resident Velvet McNeil told the Philadelphia Inquirer Thursday that when she went to get her license at her local New Jersey motor vehicle center, she was told she could not smile for her photo. Shocked, McNeil said she walked out of the center.

"Your picture means a lot," she told the newspaper. "It's who you are."

Elyse Coffey, a spokeswoman for the Motor Vehicle Commission, said that there was no law banning smiles, only a simple request that drivers not smile "as if you've just won $5 million in the lottery."

"The digital photos allow us to conduct a facial recognition scrub, which allows us to check the photos of our 19 million faces to make sure each driver has only one driving record and you are who you say you are," Coffey said. "We're asking customers not to make exaggerated facial expressions."

Coffey said that residents are also asked to remove glasses and head wear, unless it is for religious reasons, as well as to keep their eyes open in order for the database to operate properly.

New Jersey Bans Smiling in Driver's License Photos - Yahoo! News
 
We've had that (no smiling for driver's license) here in DE for some time now. Now we really mean it when we say the pic on our license is our mug shot. :giggle:
 
rockin'robin said:
Going to the department of motor vehicles can put a frown on anyone's face, but for New Jersey residents, smiling is officially against the rules.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has cracked down on drivers smiling in their driver's license photos because their smiles could interfere with new facial recognition software.
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What do you expect from a state that doesn't even allow its residents to pump their own gas?

...Coffey said that residents are also asked to remove glasses and head wear, unless it is for religious reasons....
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If people can wear coverings on their heads for religious reasons, then why does anyone need to remove their headwear? It doesn't make sense. Apparently headwear doesn't interfere with the facial recognition software.
 
Not sure about Florida....I will have to renew in 2016....and I'd rather see a smiling face than a frown or a mug shot photo! :giggle:
 
Mr.-Bean.jpg


No smiling face on this pix for NJ driver license? right?? :giggle:
 
Reba said:
What do you expect from a state that doesn't even allow its residents to pump their own gas?
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at least most of time, they let me pump on my own for my motorcycle but I have to wait for them to activate the pump for me.

Reba said:
If people can wear coverings on their heads for religious reasons, then why does anyone need to remove their headwear? It doesn't make sense. Apparently headwear doesn't interfere with the facial recognition software.
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hat. bandana.

and as for religious reasons, well you know how NJ is. a litigious state.
 
I've got no problem about this since I never smile for ID photo
 
From my experience, police did give me a ticket when he see my smile on my DL for speeding, when I moved to Calfornia, I decided to not smile on my DL, and I got three warnings so far. *knock on the wood three times*
 
no smiling on licence.. fair play...if think about it the only time you going show it is to cop now would you be smiling when he giving you fine or ticket
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

I don't understand why it's an issue - the point is to make the photos in line with passport IDs ... Which you also can't smile for.

It's suppose to be ID not a magazine cover shot.
 
Anij said:
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

I don't understand why it's an issue - the point is to make the photos in line with passport IDs ... Which you also can't smile for.

It's suppose to be ID not a magazine cover shot.
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it's not an issue. it's just a formal statement as a law saying that you can't smile for ID.
 
Well....could be good news for those who have bad or crooked teeth...even dentures....or worse yet....no teeth at all :giggle:...but I'd rather see a "smile"....you're on camera.
 
The more I think about it I realize something. I live in New Jersey and have went to the DMV to get my identification. I remember each time I have been there. Usually for several hours waiting in line just to be told I need to go to another line as if I was Mario finding out the princess was in another castle. I realize something crucial to all of this. I would like to meet the crazy person who would be smiling after two hours of waiting in line just to have to wait another 2 hours.
 
MarkFromNJ said:
The more I think about it I realize something. I live in New Jersey and have went to the DMV to get my identification. I remember each time I have been there. Usually for several hours waiting in line just to be told I need to go to another line as if I was Mario finding out the princess was in another castle. I realize something crucial to all of this. I would like to meet the crazy person who would be smiling after two hours of waiting in line just to have to wait another 2 hours.
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I live in NJ too. couple of tips to make your next DMV trip more pleasant and shorter.

1. Upon your arrival at DMV, ask a person (front desk or police officer) to find a right line.
2. Go to DMV about 15+ min before it opens. You will be done in a jiffy.
3. Go to other DMV little further away especially in suburb area or away from metropolitan area because it's usually not very busy most of times.

In my area, we have 2 DMVs but they're always always always busy and people would be waiting in the lines for hours. There's a DMV about 20 min further away where I can get my things done quickly. My friend just told me about it when I posted status message in my FB about me waiting in the line for hours. I wish I knew beforehand....

We used to have 2 other DMV offices but it's much smaller than main DMV because it's for quick jobs such as renewing your ID, filing paperwork, etc. but they got shut down few years ago.
 
Our DMV's have streamlined the process. Many of the processes can be done online or by mail now. That reduced the number of people showing up at the stations. Also, when a person arrives there, the employee at the reception desk asks what the purpose is and gives the person a number ticket for the appropriate window. Then, the person takes a seat and waits for the number to be announced/shown, and goes up to that window. There are no lines to stand in.

The only people who seem to have problems there are ones who don't bring the appropriate documents. They could have gotten that information online. Also, there are signs in the lobby before you get your number that tell you what documents are needed for each service. That way, you can find out and go back to get them before sitting around waiting for nothing.

Even if you need to go in person, you can download forms and fill them out ahead of time, to make the process quicker.
 
I thought glasses were required if you had vision problems?
 
VamPyroX said:
I thought glasses were required if you had vision problems?
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Depends on the exact range of vision abilities. Even then, most states use the term "corrective lenses" or just the code on a license instead of "glasses" because so many people wear contacts. So, a picture doesn't really mean anything.

Or do you mean the vision test itself?
 
VamPyroX said:
I thought glasses were required if you had vision problems?
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only when driving but for ID, they'll ask you to remove your glasses.

My ID doesn't have a pix of me with my glasses.
 
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