Minnesota same-day driver’s licenses, ID cards issues reported

LAKEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Some Minnesotans are saying their same-day driver’s licenses and ID cards have been flagged as counterfeit at bars and in airports, leading to embarrassing situations.

Same-day driver’s licenses, ID cards mistaken for fakes

The backstory:

Dawn Gorr, of Farmington, said her son received his driver’s license on March 14, the same day he applied for it at the DVS office in Lakeville.

But when he tried to use it at several bars in Wisconsin to celebrate his 21st birthday, every bartender rejected it, suspecting it was counterfeit. One bartender even called the police on her son, she said.

Similar stories:

Gorr posted on the neighborhood website Nextdoor about her son’s experience and was inundated with dozens of messages from people who have had similar experiences.

In one comment, a woman said she had trouble using her same-day license while on vacation.

Another woman wrote that she ran into trouble with her same-day license at an airport.

Someone else chimed in, writing: "Yes – we have a lot of problems with those IDs from Lakeville when we travel."

What they're saying:

"It wasn’t passing the security features that they look for on it, and at one point they actually had to contact the La Crosse police to come so that they could determine that the license was indeed valid," Gorr explained. "It’s blurry, it’s missing some of the security features. When a light is shined on it, apparently there is a different look to it."

She said her son applied for and received a standard driver’s license to avoid future problems. 

What are same-day cards?

Dig deeper:

DVS started offering same-day driver’s licenses and ID cards in October 2022 as part of a pilot program.

The cards, which are printed and issued at a DVS office, are only available in Lakeville and Moorhead.

DVS says same-day cards ‘look and feel slightly different’

What they're saying:

In a statement on Friday, DVS Director Pong Xiong said: "We care about any issues customers are having with same-day issue cards. Same-day issue cards are only available in Lakeville and Moorhead. They look and feel slightly different than the central issue cards we send in the mail due to the cardstock and the laminate printing process… There is no indication that the cards are not functioning properly or that this is a technical issue, but more an issue of look and feel. If someone has a driver’s license that is not working properly or has an issue with it, we would encourage them to contact or visit a DVS location."