Gov. Heineman Announces Grant for Authentication
of Driver Licenses, IDs
(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman announced today that the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has been selected to receive nearly $260,000 in grant funding for a pilot program that utilizes the digital watermark embedded in driver licenses and state identification cards to verify the authenticity of each card.
“Nebraska has been a leader in adopting security features like digital watermarking in state identification,” Gov. Heineman said. “I am genuinely pleased that we will soon have the ability to help protect against financial fraud and identity theft, prevent access to age-sensitive products and aid law enforcement agencies in homeland security efforts.”
Nebraska was one of the first states to add a covert digital watermark to all of its driver licenses and state identification cards in 2004. A digital watermark involves the use of embedded data that is imperceptible to the human eye but can be read by computers and devices enabled with special software and hardware readers.
Information contained in a digital watermark is limited, but can be used to confirm that an ID is authentic. In Nebraska, digital watermark technology will be used to help law enforcement quickly identify counterfeit or altered cards and allow retailers to identify cards used by minors to buy regulated products such as alcohol and tobacco.
The $260,000 grant to the DMV was awarded by Digimarc Corporation as part of $1 million in funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It will include funds for the hardware to verify the cards, as well as funding for wages and incentives to increase the use of card verification capabilities.
The pilot program is intended to help expand driver license inspections by employees of the DMV, law enforcement agencies and retailers around the state. The DMV has been working closely with retailers and law enforcement agencies to address issues regarding the safety and security of the state’s driver license system.
Beverly Neth, director of the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, said, “This very important pilot underscores our commitment to ensuring the highest level of integrity and security to our driver license and state identification cards.”
In the months ahead, Digimarc and the DMV will work with the Nebraska State Patrol, local law enforcement and retailers to identify, equip and explain how each group can best utilize the digital watermark technology.
Reed Stager, a Vice President with Digimarc, said, “Nebraska’s adoption of advanced security features will help in combating identity theft and improve roadway safety for all citizens. Systems such as these help in the fight to prevent criminal and terrorist activities while enhancing security across Nebraska and around the nation.”
Col. Tom Nesbitt, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, said, “The ability to verify information in a matter of minutes is a huge advantage for our troopers. Having the latest in technology at our fingertips enhances our ability to fight the use of counterfeit or altered identification cards, making it even more difficult for criminals to pass unnoticed.”
All of Nebraska’s driver licenses and state identification cards issued since May 2004 have had a digital watermark. Approximately 370,000 – or one-fourth of the state’s current cardholders – carry a card with a digital watermark.
