Among the changes are an intricate line pattern and optical illusion of sorts that causes the Mackinac Bridge featured atop current licenses to disappear when viewed from a certain angle. When held under a black light, Michigan’s Great Seal will appear on the card’s front and a person’s picture and date of birth appear on the card’s back.

Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Secretary of State, said the decision to update the cards was made because the office recently renewed its contract with the company the state employs to produce the licenses. The last time the cards were updated was in 2003, Woodhams said, and the new features were added to help combat against identity fraud and fake IDs, among other things.

“It was a good time to include some new security features,” Woodhams said, adding anyone who applied for a new or duplicate license as of last Friday will receive a newly designed ID.
To Hofmeister, the changes are unnecessary.

“New fake IDs are going to be out there no matter what,” Hofmeister said. “I feel like, with the new security features, most bars aren’t even going to go through all that trouble to check those things.”

At least one local business believes the changes will help restaurants that dispense alcohol and other booze vendors weed out blatant fakes.

“I would say anything that helps make it easier to make sure that someone is of age is a good idea and helps us,” said David Ykes, manager of Woody’s Oasis Bar & Grill, 211 E. Grand River Ave.

The redesigned IDs come at a slightly increased cost to the state, Woodhams said. The blue and white IDs held by Michigan residents now were produced for a cost of about 96 cents, and the new cards will cost about $1.25, a difference of about 30 cents.

Despite this, fees associated with the new cards will not change from the amounts charged for the soon-to-be old cards, Woodhams said. It costs $25 for a person’s first card and $18 to renew. Personal ID cards, which are distributed to people who have not yet passed driver’s training, will cost $10.

State Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, is wary of the increased cost. Meadows said although enhanced security features are beneficial, the state’s ability to pay the increased card cost is somewhat baffling.

“It means that they were overcharging for it previously if they can absorb this cost,” Meadows said. “I think that it’s kind of odd that at a time when we’re scrambling to get the money to pay the bills that this increased cost would be absorbed by state government.”

Woodhams said the enhanced security features on the new card justify the increased cost of production.

“It’s something we planned for,” he said. “It’s about making use of the best practices and using the best technology available to issue the most secure license we’re able to.”