FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017

Contact: Tony Mangan, Public Information Officer, 605-773-6196

New Features Being Added

To SD Driver’s Licenses/ID Cards

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s driver license and ID cards are getting a new look.  

Starting in January 2018, several minor changes are being made to the license and card. The header on driver’s licenses, which currently says “Operator License, ” will read “Driver License” on the new card. The organ donor indicator, which is in the bottom right-hand corner, will have a heart next to the word “donor.”

Also changed is the current solid gold star on federally compliant licenses and IDs.  The star will now be white in a gold-colored circle. The  new style meets the new federal REAL ID guidelines in using the license or card for such activities as commercial air travel.

“The changes will increase the readability of the license and the card,” says Jane Schrank, director of the state Driver Licensing program. “It has been several years since we changed the style or lettering so we thought it was a good time to make the upgrades.”

The changes are being made as new driver’s license issuance equipment is being installed in exam stations statewide. Schrank says changes will be made first at the Pierre exam station in early January and then implemented statewide through early February.

Schrank reminds people that they have 180 days prior to the expiration date to renew their license. For information about online renewal or what documents are needed for a license renewal and a list of exam stations, go to: https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing.

An estimated 225,000 driver licenses and ID cards are either applied for or renewed each year.

The Driver Licensing program is part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

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