News-Record.com

RALEIGH - If your next driver's license shows you going a bit gray, it might not just be your roots showing.

Under a bill passed by the House on Tuesday, the Division of Motor Vehicles could issue your next permit with a black-and-white photo.

Rep. Nelson Cole, a Reidsville Democrat and one of the House leaders on transportation issues, says the change could let the DMV use a new process that would embed the picture using a laser engraver.

"That's the latest technology out there. ... Therefore it can't be cut out and another one put in place and laminated again," Cole said.

It's unclear whether any other states use such a license. A spokesman for the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators said they didn't have any data on the topic. But at least two companies do this sort of identification.

The DMV won't move immediately to black and white even if the bill passes, said spokeswoman Margaret Howell.

"It's certainly something we're ready to look at," Howell said.

The measure, included in a package of three technical changes to DMV laws, must return to the Senate for final approval before being sent to the governor.

The state can consider such a plan because North Carolina is moving to a central issuance system. Under that system, applicants won't get a license the day they visit the DMV. Instead, licenses will be mailed after information is verified.

That system is being tested in Lillington and should be rolled out to the rest of the state by the end of the year, Howell said.

"It has been working just fine so far," she said, cautioning there could be some hitches in bigger offices.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com